2016-1 Newsletter - Reigate and Banstead

Reigate & Banstead Twinning Association
Twinning News
(covering the areas of Reigate, Redhill, Banstead and Horley)
2016/1
Dear members and friends,
As we approach better weather, my thoughts go to our future adventures within our twinning family. A
visit to our French friends is always a keenly anticipated event, so roll on April! September will be
busy with our friends from Brunoy visiting us, and, at the end of that month our friends from Eschweiler
come here too. Our German visitors will help celebrate 30 years of friendship.
I think our 'founding fathers' Tom Curtis (Eschweiler) and Norman Spiers (Brunoy) would be delighted
to see us still very much in action.
During the year I hope to catch up with my many friends in Reigate and Banstead, Brunoy and
Eschweiler. In the meanwhile I send our readers greetings and best wishes.
Penelope Horsfall, President
Brunoy Link
Important Dates for your
2016 Diary
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Dear Friends,
Looking forward to Spring is always an exciting
time and there is plenty coming up for Twinners
this year.
Subscriptions due – NOW
AGM - 11 March !!
Visit to Brunoy – 8-10 April
Walk - 7 May
Visit by Brunoyens – 16-18 Sept
Visit by Eschweiler – 30 Sept-3 Oct
In April a good number of us will set off on our
annual visit to Brunoy and a very interesting
programme is promised. Meaux, while not
being very far from Brunoy, has a great deal to
offer apart from the usual French plethora of
restaurants and cafes. The architecture of the
town is mixed and includes a striking Cathedral
and Bishop's Palace as well as a Museum.
Food lovers will appreciate the Brie de Meaux
and we are sure all will find it an interesting
visit.
We must not forget the Quiz in February and
the Annual General Meeting in March – details
elsewhere in this Newsletter. There is also a
walk with Pub Lunch, something which is
always popular among walkers and non-walkers
(but eaters!) alike.
Membership
A warm welcome is extended to new members
Angie Potter and Jan Westell
Thank you again to all who have paid the
subscription promptly – only a few are still
outstanding. However, if you have not paid
before the AGM, you will not be able to vote!!
We look forward to seeing many of you at some
of these events and hope for good weather for
the various trips in prospect.
David Wylie, Membership Secretary
Anne Miller (Joint Chairman & Brunoy Link)
01293 823483) anne.miller@lineone.net
Monique Pottage (01737 221073)
mpottage@hotmail.co.uk
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Eschweiler Link
be abandoned because of safety concerns. We
were supported as ever by a good number from
the Redhill Corps of Drums who played during
both Sunday and Rosenmontag processions
and also at Eschweiler Town Hall and a couple
of group Sitzungen. Eschweiler folk are always
so appreciative that we make the effort to
support their most important annual event and
we are given a wonderful friendly welcome. It’s
always a great chance to sample the
camaraderie and meet more of the people there
and is well worth considering for next year.
We celebrated New Year in Eschweiler this
year, as we had been invited on 2 January to
the Prinzenproklamation (when the Karneval
Prinz is “enthroned”). You can see a bit about
this and the new Prinz Rene and his
Ceremonymaster Daniel on
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCPIP6iZy4
As usual, a group of us including the Redhill
Corps of Drums will be braving the elements to
take part in the Karneval celebrations and
processions on 5 February and whatever the
weather may throw at us, I am sure we will have
a very warm welcome and a great time.
All the best - Janet
We also had the chance to talk about
Eschweiler’s group visit to us this year. It will
now be from Friday 30 September to Monday
3 October. The Mayor-Elect David Powell has
said he will host a reception for them on arrival,
to celebrate our 30 Years of Town Twinning.
We also proposed a day visit to Hever Castle
and plans for other visits are in hand. If you
were hosted by Eschweiler last year during our
very entertaining visit, please keep the dates
free and let me know if you are willing to host,
entertain or otherwise “look after” our visitors.
Some of them may wish to stay in a hotel but
we hope to be able to look after them all as best
we can. More details later.
Redhill Corps of Drums – in Eschweiler for Karneval
In the meantime, please do come along to our
events and feel free to bring like-minded friends
with you to “try us out”. If they decide to join us,
new members would be warmly welcome. Do
you have any ideas for other social/fundraising
events? The Committee would be pleased to
hear suggestions if so. It does take us quite a
lot of time and effort to organise these things,
so help is always appreciated – the AGM is
coming up, so give it some thought.
Recent Events:
Christmas Soirée – 5 December 2015
There was a change of venue this year, which,
of course, could not be as comfortable as
Penelope and Tim’s home. The room was a
good size but perhaps we could do something
better with the lighting if we use the venue
again (in winter). However, the kitchen
facilities, and the parking, were excellent.
Otherwise, the evening went well. Thanks to
Janet and Monique for the organisation.
Janet Powell, (Joint Chairman & Eschweiler Link)
Tel: 01737 761903 powellspostbox@btinternet.co
Karneval – 5-9 February 2016
As this edition of the newsletter goes to
publication, we have just returned from the
Karneval itself. The weather was very kind to
us, although there were some worries by the
Karneval Committee just beforehand because
of the very strong winds which resulted in other
karnevals in Duesseldorf and Mainz having to
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New Year Dinner – 22 January 2016
happy to help from time to time, we would love
to hear from you. We do need more helpers.
The New Year dinner was well attended in
Reigate College, with time to enjoy the predinner opportunity to mix and have a chat.
The food was again well prepared and
presented, and the general ambiance excellent.
If you have a particular matter that you would
like to raise at the AGM, under "Any Other
Matters", could you please also let Tammy
know.
We hope that you will stay for the supper – we
shall provide bread/biscuits and cheese – and
there will be no charge! Wine will be available
for a donation of £1 a glass. However, please
let Monique Pottage know if you will be
staying, so that we can order enough to go
around!
Our thanks, again, go to Monique Pottage who
organised the event so successfully, and Janet
for organising the raffle.
01737 221073 mpottage@hotmail.co.uk
Don't forget to bring your own plates, glasses
and cutlery – and napkins if required
From the Editor
Hello everybody, I have been “doing” the
Newsletter for over eight years, and feel that
you and I need a break!
So, if somebody would like to take over, and
perhaps bring in some new ideas, I would be
happy to step back. Please think about it ..
Filo pastry parcel with goat’s cheese and
beetroot – highly recommended!
See you all at the AGM.
Elspeth Cawtheray
Forthcoming Events:
Visit to Brunoy – 8-10 April
See the Brunoy Link report.
Quiz Night – Friday 19 February 7.30 pm
All ready to go now – report next Newsletter.
Elspeth Cawtheray
Walk - Saturday, 7 May
AGM – 11 March 2016 !!
United Reformed Church, Redhill
Not a fund-raising event, no call on your purse
for a raffle ticket, just a gentle walk for 4 to 5
miles in our beautiful countryside with friends,
grandchildren and dogs.
Yet again, the AGM will take place in the URC
hall, Shaw's corner on 11 March to start
promptly at 7.30.
The front page of the Agenda shows the
present Committee members. At the moment,
most of the Committee members) are prepared
to continue for another year; however, that
does not prevent you from joining the
Committee. Please advise the Minutes
Secretary (Tammy Meduna-Scott)
t.medunascott@tesco.net
Phone: 01737 778408 if you are interested. If
more than one person is available for a
function, then a vote will be taken at the AGM.
If you do not wish to join the Committee, but are
Please let me know if you are interested
(mpottage@hotmail.co.uk). Do suggest one of
your favourite spring walks, and Edward and I
will try the walk as well as a suitable dogfriendly pub to quench our thirst and eat, in
convivial company. I will contact everyone
interested with details of the starting venue and
chosen pub nearer the time
Monique Pottage (01737 221073)
mpottage@hotmail.co.uk
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Visit by Brunoy – 16-18 September tbc
Publicity
Details on these events will appear in the next
Newsletter.
Our website reigatebansteadtwinning.co.uk is
up and running so do have a look. I would
welcome information and good quality photos
for inclusion. If you have something you think
suitable please call me to discuss suitable
formatting.
Visit by Eschweiler – 30 September3 October
See the DE Link report.
School Exchanges
Graham Powell
powellspostbox@btinternet.com 01737 761903
Reigate Priory School and Barbaraschule
Eschweiler
This year marks the 10th anniversary of this
very successful exchange. Priory school are
going to Eschweiler towards the end of March,
and Eschweiler’s return trip will be at the
beginning of May. We will report on these
trips in due course.
Congratulations
This appeared in some copies of the 2015/4
Newsletter; however, as the congratulations
were premature, I had to retract it.
Elspeth Cawtheray
I am pleased to say that the appointment has
now been agreed at the Full Council – so we
can again congratulate John Meech – who will
be appointed an Hon. Alderman in April. John
has been a member of Twinning, almost from
the beginning – and in the past he has
represented the Council on the Committee.
John has had a lifelong interest in athletics, was
a member of the RB Sports Council, and is a
former Chairman of the Redhill and Surrey
Beagles.
St. Joseph’s School, Redhill and Talma
Ecole, Brunoy
The older pupils from L'ecole Talma and year 6
in St Joseph in Redhill have been
enthusiastically exchanging letters and class
photos with much encouragement from their
class teachers. One Wednesday afternoon last
November, I was invited to help by the French
teacher, and had to answer such questions as:
“why do they not wear school uniforms?”. I
also helped translate their more obscure pets
and hobbies... Quite an education for me too!
Information for our overseas friends – An Hon.
Alderman is proposed and seconded by
members of the Council - when, in the opinion
of the Council, they have rendered eminent
services to the Council as past members of that
Council.
Moique Pottage
Language cafe
One of our new members, Angie Potter,
teaches German and French, and has started a
regular conversation group for both languages
(not simultaneously!) in local pubs/cafes over a
drink and sandwich. There is no commitment to
regular attendance and it costs £5. You can
contact her on 07908 008472 or look online at:
This Newsletter is compiled on behalf of the
Twinning Association.
Please send articles,
comments etc., please to:
Elspeth Cawtheray, 8 Woodfield Close, Redhill, RH1
2DL (Telephone: 01737 764974)
e-mail: rande.cawtheray@gmail.com
http//www.meetup.com/Reigate-LanguageCafe
Janet Powell
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