PEACEHAVEN & DISTRICT TWINNING ASSOCIATION

 

Twinned with :    Epinay-sous-Senart

                                     &    Isernhagen                March 2006

Chairman :  Sue Lee                       Secretary:  Rachel Brown

 

 

Chairman’s report

 

Sue Lee – Chairman

This issue of the newsletter brings you details of the annual general meeting, which will take place during the break in our bingo and fish and chips evening. This is always a popular event, and we would like to see as many members as possible at the function room at the Meridian Primary School on 17th March. Don’t forget to bring your Easter Eggs, which we will use for the tombola at our Easter mini market – always a good money-spinner.

We have 23 people going to Isernhagen in June for the Three Town Meeting weekend, and most people have now booked their transport. We look forward to an interesting and fun weekend.

 

Continuing friendships.

 

For me Twinning has been a way of making lasting friendships, not just with the members we meet at our social occasions, but also with our friends in France or Germany during informal visits.

 

Last year Ian and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with a party at St Chartier to which we invited Micheline and Jean Digout. Unfortunately Micheline was ill at the time with a severe reaction to a prescription drug. Her health has now improved significantly and so they came to visit us this year bringing with them a wonderful present. Jean and his grandson had made us a rustic garden bench. It was just what we wanted and is now carefully placed to catch the last of the day’s sun.

 

Last week Sue, Roy, Ian and I spent a week in Paris. Roy had found us an apartment near the Jardin des Plantes so we were within brisk (it was jolly cold) walking distance of all the places we wanted to visit. On the Monday Marie-Josée, Yvette, Claude and Michel came to meet us and Michel took us round some lesser known streets of Paris. He is a fund of information as he knows Paris very well indeed. We walked round the Marais and then, after a very nice lunch we visited Père Lachaise cemetery. It is on a hill overlooking Paris and is planted with trees among the imposing marble and granite tombs. Many famous people are buried there including Oscar Wilde. We saw the grave of Edith Piaf and also that of Claude’s grandparents.

 

During the day we caught up with the news from Epinay and were pleased to hear that they are all well and looking forward to meeting all of us in Isernhagen later this year.

 

 

Heather Booth - Chair French Committee

 

 

 

 

German Gossip

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We have now finalised the number of people travelling to Isernhagen in June. We have 23 people going, one of our largest numbers of travellers. We are still waiting to hear final details of the programme, but we are confident that it will be as interesting and entertaining as usual. During the long weekend the Three Town Meeting will take place, where committee members from all three towns meet to discuss future plans.

 

Sue Lee - Chair German Committee

 

Social

 

The Casino evening in January was an outstanding success. You may have seen the photograph and article in the Sussex Express, but if not, suffice it to say that an extremely good time was had by all. Everybody looked beautiful in their evening dress, and the Roulette table was very popular. The winner of the bottle of bubbly was Bill Parris, who obviously knows a thing or two about roulette, and the cocktails were delicious.

 

Many thanks to Pauline Howard for the use of the roulette table and her house for the evening, to Vera Talboys for the canapés, and to Alan Talboys for being such a suave and debonair croupier. We may have to do it all over again next year.

 

Our next social event is the Bingo evening and Fish and Chip supper, more details elsewhere. If you need a lift, call Sue or Roy on 01273 586289.


 The Great British Quiz night organised by the Council was a great success, and Twining entered two teams. We were not winners, but we did have a good time. The next quiz night is Friday 5th May, and there will be at least one team from Twinning. Please let Roy or Sue know on 01273 58689 if you would like to come along for a fun evening.

 

Roy Lee - Social Secretary

 

More Continuing Friendships

 

Twinning is more than just the annual visit to one of the towns. Elsewhere in this issue Heather Booth has described some of her experiences outside of official Twinning visits, but these are not isolated examples.

 

Last summer a teenager from Epinay, Laurianne, came to stay in Peacehaven for three weeks to improve her English. She took part in the summer walk and barbecue, and was also able to visit Yorkshire, Manchester, and the Lake District.

 

In September, Roy and Sue Lee, and John and Olive Tullett were able to visit a former president of the Epinay Twinning, Raymond Dolhen and his wife Monique, at their retirement home on the Isle d’Oleron, off the south west coast of France. They were made very welcome, given a tour of the island and a wonderful seafood meal – the Isle d’Oleron is particularly famous for oysters.

 

If you have had any extra-mural twinning experiences, please let us know, and we can put it in a newsletter.

 

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Web Site

 

The web site is progressing, and now has details of our structure and the odd photograph added. It is a long process, but once it is up and running it should be a relatively straightforward matter to keep it up to date.

 

 

 

Fundraising

 

The Easter Mini market date has been changed from 8th April to 15th April . If you can help for a couple of hours we would be very grateful. Contact John (number below)

 

Please don’t forget that we will have Easter Egg tombola, so we need  as many donations as possible of Easter Eggs. Please either bring them to the AGM on 17th March, or drop them off at John’s house (tel: 01273 585789)

 

John Tullett        - Treasurer

 

 

 

Membership

 

We have now received a large number of membership forms, and the bottle of wine for the lucky person who renewed before the end of January will be presented at the Bingo/Fish and Chips/AGM evening on 17th March. If you know of anyone who would like to join, please pass on details. If they become members, we will refund your payment for 2006.

Sue Lee – Chairman

 

European Health Insurance Cards

 

In our last newsletter we stated that if you had an E111 for 2005 you would automatically get your new European health Card, but it looks as if that system has not worked. However, to get your card you can apply online at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.

 

If you are going to Isernhagen, don’t forget to get your card as soon as possible. 

 

 

The content of the articles contained in the newsletter are the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the P&D Twinning Association