Over forty guests from Contrexéville, France and Bad Rappenau, Germany, two towns which share twinning agreements with Llandrindod Wells, have recently completed a four day stay in Mid Wales. The parties were welcomed to Llandrindod Wells by the Mayor, Councillor Steve Deeks D’Silva, at receptions in the Rock Park Heritage Centre. During their stay the guests were accommodated in the homes of supporters of Llandrindod Twinning and were able to enjoy a full programme of events which had been organised by the three twinning associations.
The visit had been timed so that the visitors could participate in Llandrindod Wells Carnival. Many visitors joined the Carnival dressed in national dress and carnival outfits and were accompanied by Llandrindod Twinning Committee members dressed in Welsh costume and Penybont Junior Football Team members waving Welsh flags. The young footballers will be visiting Bad Rappenau at the end of August to play games against German opponents.
A Three-way Meeting for the Twinning Committees from the three towns was held at the Rock Park Heritage centre when each Committee gave a presentation on how they organise and promote twinning activities in their communities. The Committees agreed to promote youth exchange visits that will enable young people from all three towns to meet and take part in activities together. Plans to further these links were discussed and it was agreed to develop exchanges for small groups – art and drama, bands and choirs, walking, cycling and other activity groups. Any group in Llandrindod Wells interested to take up this opportunity for a visit to the twin towns is asked to contact the Twinning Secretary on 01597 822111 – email: llandodwinning@yahoo.com.
A number of excursions were organised for the guests on their visit to Wales. The guests from Contrexéville spent their first day on a trip to Hay-on-Wye and were later joined by guests from Bad Rappenau at a Summer Concert in Dolau where they were entertained by Builth Male Voice Choir, Dolau Mixtures Choir and local soloist Nia Thomas. For many of the guests it was their first visit to Wales and they thoroughly enjoyed their evening listening to choirs showing that Wales is the “Land of Song”. On their second day the guests spent the day exploring Llandrindod Wells on Carnival Day. In the evening everyone gathered for an evening meal at the Golf Club where they were impressed with the stunning views over a wide area of Radnorshire.
Visitors from Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau with their hosts from Llandrindod Wells
On the following day the visitors were taken for a day out to Berrington Hall in warm and sunny weather. The party was joined by Sebastian Frie, the new Mayor of Bad Rappenau, who had flown into Birmingham Airport for his first visit to Britain. Everyone enjoyed the quintessential English gardens at Berrington with its landscaped parkland designed by Capability Brown. On returning to Llandrindod hosts and guests enjoyed a barbecue evening party at the Rock Park Heritage Centre.
Councillor Steve Deeks D’Silva, Mayor of Llandrindod and Sebastian Frie, Mayor of Bad Rappenau also attended a Three Way Meeting with officers from the three twinning associations where future planning for twinning between the three towns was developed. An encouraging message of support from Luc Gerecke, Mayor of Contrexéville, was read to the meeting by the Babette Simonin, Chairman of Contrexéville Association.
Councillor Steve Deeks D’Silva, Mayor of Llandrindod Wells and Sebastian Frie, Mayor of Bad Rappenau with members of the three Twinning Associations after their Three-way Meeting
The guests from Bad Rappenau spent their final day with a trip to Aberystwyth and an evening meal with hosts where they were once again entertained by Builth Male Voice Choir. In a vote of thanks Sebastian Frei extended an invitation for the Choir to visit Bad Rappenau in the near future.
Babette Simonin, Chairman of Contrexéville and Sibylle Hummel, Chairman of Bad Rappenau, thanked the host families for their generous hospitality during the exchange and both felt the joint visit had been a great success. The Mayor of Llandrindod Wells, Councillor Steve Deeks D’Silva, thanked the visiting groups, and particularly Sebastian Frie, Mayor of Bad Rappenau, for making the long journey to Wales and taking part in the Twinning Exchange. He looked forward to many more years of friendship between the three communities. He noted that the end of July a group of German and French young people will be visiting Mid Wales for a holiday programme and in August a local junior football team will be travelling to Bad Rappenau to take part in a football tournament.
Joyce Hope, Chairman of Llandrindod Twinning pointed out that in order to fund these visits the Twinning Association relies on voluntary contributions and support. The Association is keen to hear from groups of people in the Llandrindod Wells area who would like to travel to Contrexéville or Bad Rappenau or would like to become involved in twinning activities. Anybody willing to help and find out more information is asked to contact the Twinning Association through links on its website https://llandrindodtwinning.wordpress.com/ or by phoning the Secretary on 01597 822111
Llandrindod Wells Twinning Association 