Over the years many different groups from Derby and Osnabrück have formed links and taken part in exchange visits.
Groups/individuals taking part in twinning visits over the last 12 months have included:
- John Port School
- Landau Forte College
- Derby citizens' for the Mayweek festival
- Derby City Football League
- Derby Schools Football Association
- Derby University Chaplaincy
- Former Envoy Regine Schewe (nee Eckelmann) and her son Felix who was spending a couple of weeks at John Port School
- St Edmund Church, Allestree
- Les Baynton, Derby's Beer King to open the Osnabrück May Week Festival
- St John's Methodist Church.
Twinning is Winning
It is hard to believe that there is a quarter of a century between the two pictures below. When I visited Derby in March this year memories of the wonderful time I spent in the city as Osnabruck Envoy were very vivid. I was the third Envoy who was sent over from Osnabruck to work in Derby in 1981/82. The last time I came to Derby was in 1996 to participate in the activities for the 20th twinning anniversary.
Although the time during my visit this spring passed by far to quickly it has been really wonderful being back and seeing all the old places again – some of which I thought looked very different whereas others had not changed at all.
Staying with Patricia Preston, who used to be the chairman of the Derby Osnabruck Club, meant that we had lots of memories to talk about regarding the twinning of the two cities in those exciting years. During all these past years I have kept my eyes and ears open when going to other cities and have always been on the ‘lookout’ for similar ‘envoy exchange systems’ – but I could never find any. So I do think the way the friendship of Osnabruck and its twinned cities has developed over the last thirty years, and is still developing, is quite unique. Working as I do in the city of Bonn – as a dentist – I go to schools and kindergartens and also attend meetings regarding city matters – and yet I have not heard of anyone from Oxford being sent as an envoy for twinning arrangements to Bonn. I think it is a pity that many other cities do not seem to have copied this wonderful idea.
‘Twinning is Winning’ was the winning slogan in a competition we organised with the Derby Osnabruck Club during my time in office. This has proved to be very true both officially and personally.
My twins are 13 years old now. I also have a younger daughter. As it is very helpful to learn another language and communicate in the country itself I took one of my sons with me for the visit to Derby this Spring. Felix was allowed to attend John Port School in Etwall and he did so enjoy joining in with the school activities for one whole week. ‘I have had lessons like drama and food technology which we do not have at my school in Sinzig’ Felix said. ‘Also I had my first ever Spanish lesson’! The teachers and pupils who worked with Felix in his form were very kind to him and he hopes to see them again.
I am sure that it will not take another decade before I come back to Derby again and I am already looking forward to when I do return.
With very best wishes
Regine Schewe (nee Eckelmann)
St Edmund's Church Visits Wallenhorst
At 4.15 pm on Thursday 13 September fourteen of us left St. Edmund’s Church and by minib
us, plane train and taxi arrived at a hotel in Cologne at about 10 pm. On the following morning we had a guided tour of the Old Town and visited the Cathedral. We then travelled by train to Osnabrück, arriving at about 6.30 pm. As soon as we got off the train we received a very warm welcome from our German hosts, who were waiting on the platform to greet us. For most of us it was a renewing of friendship that had been made in previous visits, either in Allestree or Wallenhorst.
The next day we packed in a visit to Loccum Abbey, a boat trip in two quite small boats on Steinhuder Lake to have tea on the island of Wilhelmstein, and an evening concert given by handbell ringers and the Andreas Choir. Loccum Abbey was originally a Cisterian monastery, which became Lutheran after Reformation, and now has an attached Protestant Academy. Our guide was the Director of the Academy who was most interesting and entertaining.
On Sunday morning the service at the Andreas Kirchengemeinde was followed by the Parish Festival. The church’s grounds were set out with stalls, and tables and chairs for the consumption of the ample supplies of food and drink. Children were well catered for and many had their faces painted (and some adults too!). All the English visitors were given a packet of coloured strands of wool and the children had to collect as many as they could, one of each colour, by asking for each one in English. We finished the day with a very convivial evening at a barbeque for everyone, guests and hosts, given by Rita and Berthold Stolte in their garden.
On Monday morning we were given a reception by the Mayor of Wallenhorst at the town hall. This was our final organised event. In the middle of the afternoon we bid a fond farewell to our German friends on the platform of Osnabrück station and started our journey home. We arrived back at St. Edmund’s weary, but with many happy memories.
Due to the excellent organisation by Hilary Kirkbride, Deborah and Chris Simpson, and our German hosts, especially Hannes. The pastor, we had a most interesting and enjoyable weekend. Everything went most smoothly and efficiently. What impressed us most was the warm and generous hospitality, which we were given.
Janet and Colin Wolstenholme