The Cheltenham Festival in Göttingen, often referred to as the Big Party Visit, will take place from 25 to 31 July 2015. 
This visit to our German twin town is open to everyone, young and young at heart, who wish to spend 6 days in Göttingen experiencing German culture and life. Accommodation can be with a family or in a hotel / guest house and a full programme of activities is organised for the group including a twinning receptio
n and party, local sightseeing and tours to places of interest with time to spend with host family and friends enjoying the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Göttingen city. Further details on cost and transport will be posted towards the end of the year, but if you are interested in particpating please email the Twinning Officer to register your interest.
Folk Groups’ Entente Cordiale
A great atmosphere of entente cordiale prevailed during the afternoon of 5 August as the Mayor of Cheltenham welcomed a folk dance group from Annecy. Lo P’Tiouts Jean Vovray group have formed a link with the Gloucestershire Morris men and were in Cheltenham on their third visit. They presented the Mayor with a picture of Annecy. Both groups arrived in full costume and entertained the Mayor and Mayoress with music, singing and dancing.
Rencontres Europeennes
Five girls aged 14 and 15 attended the Rencontres Europeennes in Annecy from 31 July to 15 August participating in the European camp for young people from each of Annecy’s twin towns. This multi European event allows the young people to develop their knowledge of French and take part in a range of sporting and creative activities alongside their peers from other countries.
Some feedback comments included:-
“Hannah really had a great time and she has come back with lots of friends across Europe and a great enthusiasm for all things European. So a great result.”
“Cosima had a really great time in Annecy! She thoroughly enjoyed her time there, the adventures and new experiences, meeting other youngsters from other EU countries and the beautiful setting of the mountains and the lake. She told us for days on end about the lessons, outings, the instructors and we loved to see the summary booklet that was kindly put together and provided. Finally she wished they had more time since the last few days were the best ones.”
Fete du Lac in Annecy
The Mayor and Mayoress, together with the Deputy Chief Executive and Twinning Officer, attended the Fete du Lac in Annecy over the weekend 1-4 August. Despite torrential rain, the firework display was impressive and there was much opportunity over the weekend to discuss future twinning events, make contacts and network with both the Annecy twinning committee and the delegations from Annecy’s other twin towns of Bayreuth Germany, Vicenza Italy and Liptovsky Mikulas in Slovenia.
Work experience in Cheltenham
Two work placement students from Annecy were in Cheltenham for four weeks on a work placement exchange scheme organised between the two councils. Raphaelle Sleurs worked with the Customer Services and Visitors team at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum and Audrey Flour did her experience with Cheltenham Borough Homes Community team based at Hesters Way Resource centre. Both students stayed with host families to further improve their linguistic skills and experience English life and they had the opportunity to meet the Mayor and Mayoress.
Ribston Hall High school welcomes IGS school Göttingen
Twenty six girls from Ribston Hall High School together with their 26 Göttingen exchange partners visited Cheltenham in July and were welcomed by the mayor on Wednesday 9 July at a reception in the Municipal Offices.
This was the return visit for the Göttingen pupils – the Ribston girls having been to Göttingen in November. All were staying with their English partners and the group had a full programme of events and activities. Some of the Göttingen sixth form students were spending the week doing work placements to gain valuable experience of working in a different country and one of the boys had a placement with the Customer Services Team at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum.
Annecy and Weihai students at summer school in Cheltenham
Cheltenham welcomed 48 pupils and 4 leaders from Annecy from 6-27 July who were attending the international summer school at Gloucestershire College for three weeks and stayed with local families, as well as 34 pupils and 3 leaders from Weihai, also at GlosCol’s summer school for two weeks from 13-27 July. Both groups were welcomed by the Mayor at receptions on 9 and 23 July, and the Weihai group were invited to a garden party arranged by the Weihai Link.
WW1 Twinning Weekend
From 4-7 July 3 representatives from Göttingen and 5 from Annecy were in Cheltenham for the weekend to commemorate WW1. The delegations, led by the Deputy Mayors of each town, attended the WW1 Centenary concert at the Town Hall as part of the Music Festival and visited a WW1 exhibition situated in Cheltenham’s first WW1 VA hospital in Lansdown Road. At a reception at The Wilson, a video was launched depicting WW1 monuments from Cheltenham and its twin towns, which has been put together with help from Cheltenham Camera Club.
There was also a presentation by the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps based in Innsworth on their international work highlighting the joint working of allied forces on military projects. German, French and English military officers were present which prompted interesting discussions between our twinning visitors.
The twinning delegations also enjoyed the fun of the Montpellier fiesta, went on a Cotswolds tour and had time to go shopping and dining in Cheltenham. The weekend also provided the opportunity for discussions on future projects some continuing on the theme of WW1, with exhibitions and photo competitions, but also talks on next year’s Big Party visit to Göttingen and the 60th anniversary of the twinning link with Annecy in 2016.
Cheltenham students in Annecy
Ben West of Dean Close School and Ruth Miller from Balcarras School are currently on work placements in Annecy as part of a scheme between the two councils. They started work on 2 July and will be there for one month. Ben is working with the parks and gardens team and Ruth will be giving advice to young students arriving in Annecy as part of her role in youth information office. Both Ruth and Ben have just completed their A level French and are planning to go to university to study the language further.
Royal Visit to Göttingen
On 4 June, HRH The Duke of York was in Göttingen as part of a visit to Lower Saxony to celebrate 300 years of royal ties between UK and Germany. Prince Andrew visited the university and met the Mayor of Göttingen Wolfgang Meyer in the Altes Rathaus. Herr Meyer in his speech made reference to his visit to Cheltenham for the Olympic torch relay and seeing the Prince’s niece, (then) Zara Phillips, carry the torch to light the Olympic cauldron at Cheltenham racecourse. HRH was suitably amused!!
Cheltenham International Partnerships 