Blog Archives

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. This year this coincides with the European Year of Cultural Heritage, as well as the end of World War I a century ago, the start of the Thirty Years’ War in 1618 and its end in 1648. In order not to forget how precious peace is to us all, and bearing in mind the conflicts raging in different parts of the world, bells will be rung all over Europe this coming Friday 21 September...

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We had a wonderful few days this summer with 15 of our Hannoverian friends, with a very intensive programme of visits, which our visitors seemed to thoroughly enjoy!  Highlights were visits to St Fagan's Open Air museum of Welsh History (and Chepstow Castle on the way back), the new Aerospace museum in Filton, the Blue Glass factory at Henbury (where the glass blower made a decorative tooth from blue glass (see below) for our Professor of Dentistry, Husa!), Blaise Castle, a walk round the centre of Bristol, with an entertaining commentary by our guide, member Roger Harper, a visit to the Impossible...

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Come and meet three of the artists taking part in UPFest 2018 and hear about their inspirations, the graffiti art scenes where they live and work and ask them questions about what makes them do what they do! Dr Love is from Tbilisi the capital of Georgia which has been officially twinned with Bristol since 1988. He and two of his colleagues are here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the link.                     Lady JDay is from Bordeaux in South West France which was twinned with Bristol in 1947 as part...

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As part of the week-long 45th Hannover-Bristol Dental School Exchange, Chair Ann Kennard gave an illustrated presentation showing the history of the overall city partnership, in the context of the 71 years of Bristol-Hannover Council. The students of the Medizinische Hochschule in Hannover were involved in very practical experience at Bristol’s Dental School, learning about dentistry and how it is taught at Bristol, "having a go at things" hands-on (we will avoid the gory details!), learning clinical skills, as well as observing clinical practice in different settings. In addition students learned...

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In addition to the upcoming visit of our friends from the Hannover-Bristol Gesellschaft in August, the dental students from Hannover’s Leibniz University will be here in June, visiting their counterparts at Bristol University. They will have a reception with the new Lord Mayor, Councillor Cleo Lake, and BHC Chair Ann Kennard will give an illustrated presentation on the history – and present! – of the link between the two cities. And recently we have linked up with Redfield Educate Together Primary Academy here in Bristol, where German has been introduced, along with other languages, as part...

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We are delighted to welcome Afra Gamoori, SPD Councillor from Hannover City Council, who is on a 3-month placement with Bristol City Council, until early August. She is working with various Council teams on Learning City, One City Plan and Migration. Welcome Afra!

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In April a group of artists from BV Studios in Bristol were supported by Bristol-Hannover Council to make an initial visit to Hannover to meet up with a group of artists there. This visit was initiated by discussions in Hannover during our 70th anniversary last year, and the April ‘recce’ aimed to prepare the groundwork for longer visits. Here a description of their plans from the Bristol organiser, Dave Morgan-Davies: They will have use of our work spaces at BV studios in Bedminster and we will also take them to local exhibitions and sites of interest linked to their practice. The artists...

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The BITA quiz takes place every year in honour of Paul Garland, former Chair of the Bristol-Tbilisi Association. Bristol-Hannover Council hosted the event this year, as we won it last year. It was a very pleasant evening in the conservatory of the Eastfield Inn again, with excellent food provided. However, this time BLINC, the Nicaraguan team, were well ahead of everybody else all the way through, and after a thoroughly deserved win, they were presented with the cup, and we look forward to their organising next year’s Quiz!

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BHC member Stephen Thomas gave a fascinating talk on Berlin architecture, which acted as an historical guide to visitors to Berlin and others interested in its history. Stephen  outlined both the varying architectural style of buildings as well as the way in which they illustrate key periods in the history of the city itself. He showed images in different media to illustrate the many examples of buildings from the Prussian period, some remaining structures from the Third Reich and the recovery of the city from bomb damage.  The talk also examined what is left of the East Berlin architecture...

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After being shown at the Central Library, the exhibition moved to Ashton Park School in South Bristol. It has now moved north again, and is on show to the public in the entrance to the library at University of the West of England, Frenchay. It will run until late June – get there quickly if you have not seen it!

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