BAD EMS DROITWICH SPA The annual Garden Party was held at Salwarpe Village Hall on Sunday 8th July, where Jean and Roger Collins are seen enjoying a drink. Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 1 AUTUMN 2018
BEDSPRING 2018 REVIEW Well, Bedspring 2018 now seems to be just a distant memory, as does the really hot weather. Your committee has received many good reports about Bedspring 2018, which was the 35th such event. There have been several messages of thanks from both Droitwich and Bad Ems, and Wolfgang has written to express thanks and extended this to the football club. The balloon release was especially well received. So far, four of the cards attached to the balloons have been received back. There are prizes from Germany for the five balloons that travelled the greatest distance, but if no more are received by the date of the AGM, these four will each receive a prize, and the remaining prize will be raffled off at the AGM. The Magician at the Granary was a great success. As he also does cabaret, we may contact him for a future social event. The football weekend was also very successful. They were very grateful for the contribution that we made towards their coach, thought the joint BBQ was worthwhile, and pleased by attendance. They are trying to coordinate an exchange next year. We look forward to seeing everyone at the AGM on Wednesday 21st November. REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY There will be a free open-air community event at Salwarpe Village Hall on Sunday 11th November. This will be part of the WW1 "Beacons of Light" tribute symbolizing an end to the darkness of war and a return to the light of peace. The Parish Council invites local people to take part. There will be more than 1,000 beacons lit simultaneously across the United Kingdom as an act of remembrance to mark the end of World War 1. 18:45 Arrive. 19:00 The beacon will be lit in the brazier on the edge of the car park. 19:05 1,000 church bells will be rung across the country. The hall will be open for free light refreshments, facilities, and to view the World War 1 display until 21:00. NEXT NEWSLETTER Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this newsletter. If you have any twinning articles or photographs for the next newsletter please send them to: droit_twin_pub@btinternet.com Any items sent by email for the newsletter will be acknowledged by email. Hand written articles and printed photographs also welcome; contact Penny or Will on 01905 381757. Items must reach us by Sunday 31 st December for inclusion in the next newsletter, due out in the winter. Our web site - www.droitwich-twinning.freeservers.com Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 2 AUTUMN 2018
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Friday 2 nd November - Joint Quiz with the French Twinning Group. Sacred Heart Hall at 7:30pm. Wednesday 21 st November - A.G.M. John Corbett Room, Droitwich Community Hall at 7:30pm. Wednesday 29 th May to Sunday 2 nd June 2019 Bedspring 2019. A STING IN THE TAIL Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make is taking a stroll down Droitwich High Street. As he passes by the record shop, a sign catches his eye - "Just Released: New LP - Wasps of Europe & the sounds that they make - available now!" Unable to resist the temptation, the man goes into the shop. "I'm Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make. I'd very much like to listen to the new LP you have advertised in the window." "OK, no problem" says the young man behind the counter. "Go into the booth and put on the headphones, I'll put the LP on for you." Germany's world expert on European wasps goes into the booth and puts on the earphones. Ten minutes later, he comes out of the booth and announces, "I might be Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make, but I didn't recognise any of the wasp sounds." "Very sorry sir" says the young assistant. "If you want to go back into the booth, I can let you have another 10 minutes." Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make steps back into the booth and replaces the headphones. Ten minutes later, he comes out of the booth shaking his head. "No, I don't get it," he says, "I am Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make, and yet I still can't recognise any of those!" "Alright sir" says the young man, "If you want, I could give you 5 more minutes to listen." Sighing, Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make steps back into the booth. Five minutes later, he comes out again, clearly agitated. "I am Germany's world expert on European wasps and the sounds that they make and I didn't recognise a single one of the wasps on that LP." "Oh gosh sir, I'm really, really, terribly sorry," says the young assistant. "I've just realised that I was playing you the Bee side." Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 3 AUTUMN 2018
Some pictures taken at the Garden Party at Salwarpe Village Hall on Sunday 8th July 2018. Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 4 AUTUMN 2018
Top: Wedgewood cup and saucer and teapot that our drinks were served in at their café. Above: Two of the displays at Wedgewood. Below Left: Lord Morton gets a gift at the afternoon tea. Below right: Watching the magician at the farewell dinner. Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 5 AUTUMN 2018
FROM OUR ARCHIVES - 1988 In January 1988 the twinning committee was rather larger than at present, as it had an impressive 15 members. Of those, Adrienne Sale and Peter Field are still on the Committee today. The first event of the year was a jumble sale in the Old Library, with admission costing 10p. This raised an incredible 114! The next event was a quiz evening at Westacre Middle School. This cost 3.00 and included supper. There were also bar facilities available. A profit of 220 was made. It was reported that very complimentary remarks were made about the waitresses! The programme for Bedspring 1988 opened with the welcome at Witton School on the Thursday evening, with the two German coaches arriving on time. Music was provided by the Droitwich Youth Band. The Black Country Museum was visited on the Friday. Included were canal trips, a tram ride, and a conducted tour of the museum. Also included was a lunch of Faggotts and Peas, or Ploughman's Lunch "for those not brave enough"! A total of 229 people went, which caused problems in terms of seats on coaches, trams, canal boats and lunches. Although the weather was not good, the visit was said to be "interesting and worth the effort to brave the elements". The Saturday morning included a walkabout through Droitwich, with Busking/Street Entertainment in the town centre and an exhibition by the Saltway Quilters. In the afternoon, two sessions were arranged at the Brine Bath for those interested. The "Bunter Abend" was held that evening at the Droitwich Sports Hall, which also had a licensed bar. Entertainment was provided by the Midland Musical Theatre Group, who did two half-hour spots. Numbers exceeded expectations, with about 330 attendees. There was dancing for members and guests, with waltzes, quick-steps, old-time and fun dances played by U.K. Bonds, although "too loudly for some at times". For the Sunday a trip to Sudeley Castle, near Winchcombe, including a picnic lunch and castle tour had originally been suggested, but feedback from members was less than enthusiastic about two outings, so was cancelled. Instead, there was an informal social gathering at the Pear Tree Inn, Smite that evening, with music from Herr Thielecke. Our guests returned home the next morning, leaving the Raven Hotel at 08:00. One of the coaches developed clutch trouble soon after leaving Dunkirk, and the passengers did not get back to Bad Ems until 04:00 the next morning on a replacement coach. Blumenkorso in Bad Ems that year was the 25th, with representatives of their twin towns attending. Sixty or seventy Droitwich members visited Bad Ems for the event, and the Droitwich Youth Band took part. Five couples from Droitwich Twinning took part in the parade, wearing Elizabethan costumes hired from the Malvern Theatre. Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 6 AUTUMN 2018
ANAGRAM QUIZ Solve these anagrams to work out the order they are in, then name the Composer associated with the odd one out in the list. For fun only; answers next time. CHANEA RELINB ZITMENCH SENDRED TURFER GRIEFRUB RAGE BRIDELHUGE STAINGLOTD JANE SUREALHRK ZIGLPIE DRAMEBUGG ASSUNA FONECHAFB DOTSMAP BUGRELINQUD OSTCORK RINSEWCH ERRIT MUL BRAVOCH SEENDAWIB TANNEX TRAYBUHE CKWZAIU Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 7 AUTUMN 2018
Above: The raffle at the farewell dinner at The Granary proved to be very popular, as there were many prizes. Adrienne Sale and Peter Field are seen drawing one of the winning tickets. Prizes were all wrapped, and given out at random. Above: An intimate moment photographed at the Bedspring 2018 Welcome!! If you can come up with a funny caption for this picture, please Email it to me at droit_twin_pub@btinternet.com The best ones will be published in the next edition of the newsletter. Printed by Kopy Kats of Droitwich http://www.kopykatsprint.com Droitwich Spa German Twinning Group page 8 AUTUMN 2018