Yearbook 2014 http://llandrindodtwinning.wordpress.com/
Llandrindod Wells & Area Twinning Association
Your local dedicated optometrist and dispensing optician offering eye examinations, complete clinical care and a wide range of frames or lenses Middleton Street Llandrindod Wells 01597 822143
14 Broad Street Knighton 01547 528656
34 Broad Street Newtown 01686 626427
LANSDOWNE HOUSE SOUTH CRESCENT LLANDRINDOD WELLS
S r i Ha
01597 824039
e h T FO
L
AL R
E TH
F
o i d tu
ILY M A
Gaynor Roberts SALON OWNER CLOSED TUESDAY THURS, FRI OPEN 'TIL 7PM
Llandrindod Wells & Area Twinning Association A Message from our Chairman Welcome to our 2014 Yearbook where you will see what a busy and successful year it has been for Llandrindod Twinning. It has been particularly gratifying that during the year we were able to help a large number of young people from Llandrindod and area to enjoy exchanges with young people from Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau thereby strengthening links between our three communities. We started the year planning and fundraising and we are fortunate to have a small group of dedicated supporters who made these activities so successful. We are particularly grateful to everyone who generously donated goods for the Community Shop sale in May and manned the shop each day. The funds raised helped us to support visits for young people to Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau and from Bad Rappenau to Llandrindod. We enjoyed accompanying a group of eighteen young scouts with four leaders who spent a week in Bad Rappenau in July as guests of the Bad Wimpfen Scout Group. For many of the scouts it was their first experience of travelling abroad and the visit enabled them to gain confidence and develop social skills. Two weeks after this visit we accompanied a group of fourteen young people from Llandrindod to take part in a three way youth exchange in Contrexéville. The exchange visit was funded from the European Commission Erasmus+ programme enabling the Llandrindod youngsters to meet and interact through a wide range of sporting and creative activities with their contemporaries from Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau. Looking forward to 2015 we have a number of projects planned. In May we will be hosting the three-way Twinning Association Conference in Llandrindod with over thirty visitors from Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau. We are keen to hear from people who would like to take part in twinning and can offer accommodation for our visitors. Pupils from the Bad Rappenau Realschule will also be visiting Llandrindod in June and in August we will be hosting the Grombach Band from Bad Rappenau. In July the Llandrindod junior football team will be travelling to Bad Rappenau to take part in a football tournament and we hope to secure European funding for a youth exchange in Bad Rappenau. We are indebted to Llandrindod Town Council for its support of the activities of the Twinning Association and everyone who has hosted guests from our twin towns during the year. We are pleased to welcome new members and young families from Llandrindod and surrounding area who would like to take part in twinning activities. The annual general meeting is scheduled on 15 May 2015 when we will be pleased to welcome you if you want to become involved.
With Best wishes for 2015
Rob Shelton
Jan Feb Mar Planning the Year Ahead The early part of 2014 was spent planning the events for the forthcoming year and beyond with several special meetings being convened. Plans for the youth group to visit ContrexĂŠville were developed together with final details for the scout trip to Bad Rappenau. Initial arrangements were also discussed for a Llandrindod Wells Football Club under-sixteen football squad to visit Germany in the summer of 2015. The programme for the visit to Llandrindod by twinners from Bad Rappenau in June was agreed. Various fund-raising events were planned and applications for funding made. The chairman also met the new headteacher of Llandrindod High School to discuss how the High School could become involved in exchanges and visits.
Dinner at Sugar & Spice At the beginning of March several committee members and supporters joined Bad Rappenau's twinning president Sibylle Hummel, who was visiting Llandrindod with Oliver Schuele, at Sugar and Spice in High Street for a threecourse dinner. Chairman, Rob Shelton, took the opportunity to thank former secretary, Peter Davies, who attended the dinner with his wife Jenny as the Association's guest, for his four years of service and for producing the Association's Yearbook.
Sibylle & Oliver with hosts Sheila and Keith Bufton at Sugar & Spice Peter and Jenny enjoying their meal
The Twinning Association is grateful to all the local businesses who have placed adverts in the 2014 Yearbook. Without their generous support this publication would not be possible
Apr May Jun Fund Raising Sale Between 26 April and 3 May the Association hired the charity shop in Middleton Street for a sale of goods to raise funds for the forthcoming youth visit to France. The shop was manned by volunteers Rob and Barb Shelton, Ed and Anna Coady, Joyce Hope, Elsbeth Vipond and Nicole Mackintosh. The Association is grateful to everyone who donated items to be sold and everybody who visited the shop during the week of the sale which raised over ÂŁ1,300. There will be another sale during the Barb Shelton, Anna Coady & Elsbeth Vipond await customers first week of May 2015.
Annual General Meeting This year's AGM was held at the Hotel Commodore, Llandrindod Wells, on 8th May. In his report the Chairman, Rob Shelton, summarised the year's activities and fund raising efforts. He thanked the committee for all their hard work and support during a very busy and eventful first year in office, and the Town Council for their continued support. The following officers and committee members were elected at the meeting: Officers: Chairman: Rob Shelton (1), Vice Chairman: Edmund Coady (2),Treasurer: Forbes Lopez (3), Secretary: Peter Davies (4), Fund Raising Secretary: Joyce Hope (5), Publicity Officer: Shanaz Dorkenoo (6), Hosting Secretary: Barbara Shelton assisted by Martine Saunders (7 & 8) Members: Elsbeth Vipond (German liason) (9), Nicole Mackintosh (French liason) (10), Audrey Houghton (11), Greg Palmer (12), Ruth Curzon (13), Jeff Thomas(14). The mayor Elaine Worgan (15) and Chris Rouse (16) represent Llandrindod Town Council, with Cllr Tom Turner (17) representing Powys CC. The Committee's link to Llandrindod High School is Jane Asplin and the link to Llandrindod Football Club is Phill Davies. Ray Trend was confirmed as the auditor.
1
2
9
10
3
11
5
4
12
13
7
6
14
15
8
16
17
Spring Quiz On Friday 16 May the Association held it's first fund-raising quiz of the year. The general knowledge of seven teams was severely tested by questions set by Barbara Shelton. A close fought contest was narrowly won by the “The Infamous Five” who on the penultimate round were neck and neck with the eventual runners up, vicechairman Ed Coady's team “Maybe 5”. The wooden spoon was awarded to the team “Shock and Awe” who trailed the winners by a mere 14 points.
Car Boot Sale In May Barbara Shelton and Nicole Mackintosh ran a stall at Crossgates car boot sale raising fifty pounds.
Queen's Baton Relay On a typically wet Spring Bank Holiday Sunday the Commonwealth Games baton arrived in Llandrindod Wells.The Association, along with other local voluntary organsations, braved the bad weather to set up a promotional stand manned by vice-chairman Ed Coady, Joyce Hope and Nicole and David The Twinning Stand Mackintosh. Funds were boosted by the sale of a selection of garden plants.
Visit to Llandrindod by Bad Rappenau Twinners On Monday 9th June thirty-eight visitors from Bad Rappenau arrived at the Rock Park Centre for a four-day visit. After introductions over a drink and light snack the group dispersed to spend the evening with their hosts. The following day the visitors spent the morning in Rhayader with a tour around the Elan Valley before returning to Llandrindod for a ramble to Shakey Bridge. The evening was spent at Llandrindod Wells Golf club where visitors and hosts enjoyed a steak and ale pie meal. An early departure was made on Wednesday for a day trip to Snowdonia including a visit to the picturesque village of Port Meirion. On the jouney back to Llandrindod a stop was made at Llanidloes for a pub meal. Aberystwyth and Ynyslas were visited on a sunny and warm Thursday. As Bad Rappenau Mayor Elaine Worgan welcomes Twinning is over 350 miles from the coast, this visit is President Sibylle Hummel at the Rock Park always a popular one with visitors from our German twin town. That evening guests and their hosts enjoyed a buffet supper and skittles competition at the Rock Park Heritage Centre. The group left Llandrindod on Friday morning to travel to London for a two-night stay before Driver Klaus and his wife Birgit joined everyone for the golf club dinner returning to Bad Rappenau.
Town twinning is an agreement of goodwill made between two or more towns, of similar size and character, in different countries. They sign a charter to foster friendship and goodwill. Reciprocal visits foster personal friendships and mutual understanding. By visiting a twin town, staying with a family and discussing things of mutual interest, we discover what we have in common and learn to understand and enjoy our cultural differences.
About Twinning The aims of the Twinning Association The Association wants to make twinning accessible to all sectors of our community and would like to hear from any local group wishing to make an exchange visit. These are some of the areas in which we would like to see exchange visits being arranged : • education, training and work experience • culture, music and the arts • sport and recreation • business and tourism development • social visits We particularly wish to support exchanges involving young people.
How is the Association run?
How can I get involved? There are no limits to the extent to which the twinning programme can be developed for the benefit of our community. We look to local residents and groups to put forward ideas, so that the programme can reflect the needs and wishes of the community. If you can offer
The Twinning Association is an independent organisation and relies on the energy and enthusiasm of local residents to make the programme work. A small committee of volunteers runs the twinning programme and keeps in regular contact with our counterparts in Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau. The committee is supported by a number of working groups dealing with matters such as fundraising, publicity and hospitality.
How is twinning funded?
Our Twin Towns We signed a twinning charter with the small spa town of Contrexéville in 1992. It is located in a region of low mountains called the Vosges, a rural area sharing many features with Radnorshire. Contrexéville was itself twinned with the German spa town of Bad Rappenau situated near Heidelberg. In 2001 Llandrindod Wells and Bad Rappenau signed a formal twinning charter .
your help on a regular or seasonal basis, for example by helping with fundraising or by putting up visitors in your home, this will help to enlarge and expand our twinning links. This provides opportunities to get involved with your local community and with the French and German visitors. Opportunities will then arise for visiting Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau at the cost of a bus or air ticket and some presents for your host family.
The Association’s activities are funded almost exclusively from local voluntary contributions. The Association also receives grant support from Llandrindod Wells Town Council and seeks grant aid from the European Commission for specific projects. However, we rely almost exclusively on the efforts of our fundraising working group in order to meet the cost of receiving visiting groups relying on local families to provide hospitality. Additional funds are needed for the receptions and social gatherings which we arrange whilst visitors are here. These events provide excellent opportunities for visitors and local people to meet. Groups and people travelling abroad are responsible for funding their own transport costs. The Association assists groups to find accommodation through our counterparts in Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau.
If you are interested in getting involved in twinning then please contact the Twinning Association's Chairman Rob Shelton (tel +44 (0) 1597 851427) or any other committee member. Our email address is: llandodtwinning@yahoo.com
Realschüle Pupils Visit Llandrindod June was a busy month for the committee. Barely a week after the departure of the group of visitors from Bad Rappenau, a party of twenty-eight pupils accompanied by two teachers from the Realschüle in our German twin town arrived in Llandrindod for a four-day visit. The group flew to Birmingham where they were met by Rob Shelton and Ed Cody for the coach journey to Highland Moors in Llandrindod Wells, their base for the duration of their stay. After settling into their accommodation the pupils were taken on an escorted walk to the town. On the following day, Wednesday, the visitors took a coach tour around Elan Valley before travelling to Aberystwyth and Ynyslas for a walk through the dunes and along the beach. The majority of Thursday was spent at Llandrindod High School. On arrival at the school the German party were welcomed by mayor, Elaine Worgan, and the headteacher Jane Asplin. The pupils teamed up with couterparts from the High Shool to make keyrings and attend drama, music and sport lessons. After school the group walked to Llandrindod Golf Club for golf tuition under the expert eye of the Association's vice-chairman Ed Coady, before returning to Highland Moors to join their new-found friends from the High School for a barbecue organised by the Twinning Association. As Germany were playing USA in a vital football world cup qualifying match that evening a number of the young visitors took the opportunity to use their mobile phones and tablets to get updates on the latest score. The group visited Cardiff on their final full day in Wales, visiting Cardiff Bay, the castle and Milennium Stadium before having free time to explore the shopping centre. On Saturday morning the visitors left Highland Moors to travel to the airport, stopping at the historic town on Ludlow en route. This is the fourth time in recent years that pupls from Bad Rappenau schools have visited Wales. The Twinning Association and Llandrindod High School are keen that similar visits can also be arranged with Contrexéville our twin town in France.
The group were greeted by the Mayor at Highland Moors
Searching for shells on Borth Beach
Jul AugSep Scout Trip to Bad Rappenau At the end of July a group of eighteen Scouts accompanied by four leaders visited Bad Rappenau as guests of Bad Wimpfen Scout Group. The Llandrindod Scouts comprised boys and girls aged from 11 to 17 years of age and for many of them it was their first experience of travelling abroad. On arrival at Stuttgart Airport they were met by Sascha Jung, leader of Bad Wimpfen Scouts, and taken by coach to their camping ground on the banks of the beautiful River Neckar, where they were welcomed by the Mayor of Bad Rappenau, Hans Heribert Blättgen. On their first full day the youngsters came to know each other well through interactive games. They trekked from their campsite to Burg Guttenberg Castle where they were enthralled by an amazing display of large birds of prey flying from the castle battlements and across the Boarding the plane at Birmingham Neckar River Valley below. The following morning was spent with pupils at the High School in Bad Rappenau. That afternoon the scouts travelled by local bus to the Audi car factory which gave them an insight into modern high tech engineering. The group also spent a day in the historic university city of Heidelberg, exploring the castle and shopping. At the weekend Saturday was spent in Bad Rappenau starting with a walking tour, finding out about the salt mining and spa history and then experiencing the salt water themselves at the outdoor leisure pools. On their final day, Sunday, the scouts were treated to a visit to a large wildlife, nature, adventure and activity park. On their departure Scout leaders Ruth Curzon and Greg Palmer thanked Sascha Jung and Sibylle Hummel, President of Bad Rappenau Twinning Association, for the hard work and generosity that made the visit so enjoyable.
The campsite at night
Youth Visit to Contrexéville A group of 14 young people from Llandrindod Wells completed a very successful visit to Contrexéville in early August as part of a three-way exchange with young people from Llandrindod’s twin towns in France and Germany. The exchange visit was organised by the Contrexéville Twinning Association with grant aid from the European Commission Erasmus+ programme. The group travelled to Contrexéville by coach and on the way made a poignant visit, on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, to the Theipval Memoial that commemorates almost 73,000 soldiers who have no known grave having died on the Somme battlefields between 1915 and1918. In Contrexéville the visitors from Llandrindod were hosted in the family homes of some of the young people they met in August 2013 when a group of 14 young people from Contrexéville spent a week in Llandrindod Wells. On their first day in Contrexéville the Llandrindod group met their new friends from France and Germany taking part in group games. In hot sunny weather they enjoyed a cycle ride exploring the French spa resort and playing mini-golf. The groups went to Epinal on their second day, where they visited a museum and enjoyed canoeing on the fast flowing waters of the River Moselle. The following day the youngsters took part in sporting activities, including horse riding, archery, rope climbing and bunji jumping in a forest adventure park. On other days the youngsters were taken to Domremy, the home village of Joan of Arc, and they also took part in a Graffiti Workshop as part of the Art in Contrexéville Festival. On their final evening the young people met to enjoy a meal together and play ten pin bowling. At the end of their five day stay the Welsh youngsters presented gifts of appreciation to the French youth leaders who had worked hard to make the visit such a huge success. The young participants from all three countries said they would like to build on the success of the exchange and hoped grant aid can be secured to enable them all to meet up again in 2015 in Bad Rappenau, Germany.
The group with their French hosts
Theipval
Beer, Cheese and Wine Evening The Rock Park Heritage Centre was the venue for the Association's first beer, wine and cheese evening on Friday 19th September. The event, organised by Joyce Hope, attracted fourty people who enjoyed a convivial evening quoiffing wine, drinking beer and sampling the wide variety of cheeses on offer whilst listening to songs of the late 1950s and early 60's performed by popular local singer Johnny Crystal. In spite of the bargain ticket price of £5-00, that included entertainment, a drink and a cheese buffet, the evening made over £150 profit. The Twinning Association intend to organise a similar event in 2015 details of which will be published on our website.
Tonya, Sheila and Elsbeth enjoying a glass or two
Some chose beer, some wine & others a soft drink
Call us on: 01568 612803 Comfortable, affordable coach transport for every kind of occasion Continental Tours Sightseeing Tours ● Long Weekends ● Airport Transfer ● Sporting Events ● Theatre Events ● School Trips ● ●
http://www.mscoaches.co.uk/
Unit 3, Brierly Way, Southern Avenue, Leominster HR6 0QF
Oct Nov Dec Oktoberfest Visit to Bad Rappenau On 15 October a group of eight twinners, including the mayor Elaine Worgan, flew to Stuttgart for a five-night stay in Bad Rappenau where they took part in the Oktoberfest celebrations. After spending the evening and following morning with their hosts the visitors were taken to visit the Kloster Schöntal, a former Cistercian Abbey dating from the 12th century that is nestled on the banks of the winding River Jagst. The evening was spent sampling the beers of the Häffner brewery where everyone enjoyed an evening meal. On Friday the group, together with a party from Contrexéville who arrived that afternoon, were kitted out with traditional German costumes in readiness for an evening of eating, drinking, and music at the Oktoberfest. Enjoying a beer at the Oktoberfest A busy Saturday began with a coach trip to the world's biggest pumpkin festival held in the gardens of the magnificent baroque palace at Ludwigsburg, an historic university town north of Stuttgart. Each year the festival has a theme represented in pumpkin art. This year's theme was “Pumpkin Royale”. An enjoyable day concluded with dinner and tasting fine wines at Gedelsbach in the heart of the Württemberg wine producing area. On the final full day of the visit the group enjoyed lunch with their hosts, spending the afternoon sightseeing and shopping before attending a concert at the protestant church in the evening. The King Pumpkin at Ludwigsburg
Early the following morning the visitors travelled to Stuttgart for the flight home.
Autumn Quiz On 21 November the Association held it's second fundaising quiz of the year. Eight teams took part answering questions, set by twinning secretary Peter Davies, on a wide variety of subjects all of which were themed on a particular colour. The three-man team, “Purple Patch”, comprising of Stephen and Adam Gilbert and Don Reed were the eventual winners with a score of 70.5%
Llandrindod Christmas Fair On the last Saturday of November Llandrindod Wells Town Council organised a Christmas Fair in the Pavilion. The Association joined other local voluntary groups to promote twinning and to raise funds by selling a variety of Christmas gifts and decorations made by some of our lady members. These included knitted robins, shabby chic Christmas wreaths, homemade preserves and Christmas puddings for wild birds. Also on sale in the sun lounge was mulled wine served in festive mugs. The two stalls, that raised over £200, were manned by Barbara Shelton, Nicole Mackintosh, Elsbeth Vipond, Rob Shelton and Peter Davies. The mulled wine stall
WW1 Quiz To mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War the Association raised funds by selling quiz sheets on the conflict. Some of the money raised was used to purchase a wreath that was placed on the cenotaph by the chairman on Remembrance Sunday.
Forthcoming Events in 2015 February: Annual Dinner May: Fund-raising sale of goods Three-way meeting in Llandrindod June: Realschüle pupils visit Llandrindod Mayor of Bad Rappenau visits Llandrindod July: Visit to Contrexéville July/August: Llandrindod youth football team visit to Bad Rappenau Youth visit to Bad Rappenau Aug: Grombach band visit Llandrindod Sept: Beer, Cheese & Wine evening Other events being planned include Quizzes, a golf tournament, a visit to Bad Rappenau, and a walking week. Keep an eye on our website for further news and updates.
Christmas Tree Festival
Holy Trinity Church was again the venue for a Christmas Tree Festival in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This year, being the hundredth anniverary of the start of World War I, the Twinning Association's tree was decorated on the theme of “Peace and Friendship.” The Twinning Remembrance Wreath
All the decorations were made by members of the committee.
1
2
3
4
Twinning Crossword
6
5
7 8 11
12
9
10 14
13
15
The solution to this puzzle can be viewed on the Twinning website: http://llandrindodtwinning.wordpress.com/
Across
16 17
18
19
1 4
20
21
22
23
8 10
24
25 27
26
30
31
32
33
38
40
14 15
34
35
37
11
29
28
36
39
41
Down
20 Sounds like this sticky creeper is 1 German tart without a point is wrong a German festive drink (8) in France and UK (4) 22 An acting award with the back 2 It was time this currency was at the front for a German star at replaced but not by the Euro (4) the back of a ship (5) 3 Sounds like a strong wind is in 23 Points before and after vehicle obtained French dish (9) charge of this ancient language (6) 5 This assistant can help you (4) 25 Journey on country road got the 6 No longer legal tender in Germany (4) Red Baron airborne (8) 27 A special breakfast cereal eaten 7 A good word for a vehicle test (3) by a German parasite drives the 9 An immoral gathering is left out of bus (4) Paris airport (4) 29 & 13 Ron the Slob for 10 See 28 across chairman (3,7) 12 See 18 down 32 French book from bile 13 See 29 down producer (5) 16 This German president likes the 35 Touchdown in Llandrindod sound of Welsh honey (6) Wells (4) 18,12 & 8 across June's no she36 ContrexĂŠville's glamrock band (4) dog but an Octogenarian twinner 38 Used in 40 across (3) and former chairman (3,5-5)
17 19 21 24 26 27 28
30 31 33 34 37 39 40 41
One point added and one point deducted from a brand of tea gives the subject of this publication (8) He composed Royal Navy vessel after underwear item (6) (See 18 down) A French and the German articles are below (5) French chemist who discovered the perfect temperature for boilng an egg (5) Equipment in a kitsch outfit (3) Sounds like this god's been on drugs and I age confusedly (6) Austrian's fishy quartet (5) Protects 23 down (5) Points to a place for naughty weak coward near our German twin town? (3,6) Left in hot German cake (7) Trainee expert from Chantilly (4) German children without the relative (3) (& 10 down) At this place a car manufacturer and I with a French toy bear formed a Welsh Cup winning football team (8,6) French strong castle (4) English soldier is initially on French leave (4) To exist with the Spanish-German river (4) Water treatment available in all three twin towns (3) Two women in reverse give the former French mayor a name (7) Good with a Welsh tea. A muddled birth follows a US president who has lost his designer label (4,5) A writer from Bad Rappenau (3) A rearranged German song sounds like a deity is lazy (4)
Hygeia Badges In Greek and Roman mythology Hygeia was the daughter of the god of medicine. She was the goddess of health, cleanliness, & sanitation, & was associated with the prevention of sickness. Her image, used previously on Llandrindod Wells souvenir wares, has been adopted by the Association as our logo and features on 20mm x 15mm enamelled metal badges that we have for sale at ÂŁ1.50 each.
Llandrindod Wells
Golf Club
SUNDAY LUNCH The Great British Tradition
We are now serving Sunday Lunches in the Clubhouse with a choice of starters Sumptuous, freshly roasted meats with fresh vegetables & yummy deserts
Main Courses ÂŁ7.95 or 2 Courses for only ÂŁ9.50! Come and have lunch and savour the best views in Llandrindod
We look forward to welcoming you all Please telephone Simon and Beth to book
01597 823873
Tables available from 12-3pm