News

The first week of June 2013 was sunny spells and sunny times for Bristol-Hannover Council. We were visited by members of the Hannover-Bristol Gesellschaft (our counterpart association in Hannover), who enjoyed not only beautiful weather, but also a “new look” tour of the city some of them know very well. When planning the visit, we had resolved to take them to places they were unlikely to have seen before in order to show them different parts of our city. The visit began with a journey to the past as we ventured down to the Bristol Record Office for a tour. There we were given exclusive...

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Members of Bristol-Hannover Council committee had tea on June 1st with a group of Hannover Seniors who meet regularly to read English books under the leadership of Tricia Martin, an English woman who used to work for the British Army and now lives permanently in Hannover. They visit different cities in the UK every couple of years, and were delighted to get to know Hannover's partner city. They are keen to take part in our visit to Hannover in May 2014, the year of the 300th anniversary of the Hannoverian accession to the English throne. We look forward to meeting them again!

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On May 14th 2013, BHC Chair Dr Ann Kennard and BITA Co-ordinator Alix Hughes spent an hour with Hannover’s Green Party Mayor Frau Regine Kramarek. All three were invited to the Mansion House for discussions with the Lord Mayor Councillor Peter Main and Bristol City Council’s International Officer Stephen Brown. Mayor Kramarek was in Bristol as part of Hannover City Council’s official delegation on board the inaugural flight between the two twin cities. She was keen to develop further exchanges and collaborative projects between the two cities, particularly around culture and the green...

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Bristol Hannover Council members took to Clifton village for this year’s Annual Dinner as they enjoyed a delicious meal at “the Albion” pub. Committee, members, friends and families gathered in the pub’s private function room for an evening of jollity, good food and reminiscences. Discussion also focussed on the future as BHC Chair Dr Ann Kennard reminded those attending that the visit of our Hannoverian friends is not far away and there are still places available for certain activities. The evening concluded with a vote of thanks from Vice-Chair and Former Lady Mayoress Councillor Brenda...

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BHC Chair, Ann Kennard, attended the Lord Mayor’s Annual Civic Service on March 17th in the Lord Mayor’s Chapel on College Green.  This is a service of celebration of the people of Bristol, to which the Lord Mayor invites those individuals he has met during his year of office who, he feels, have made a contribution to the life of the city.  BHC is very honoured to have been invited, showing the Lord Mayor’s appreciation of the contribution of the twinnings to Bristol’s civic life.

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It is with sadness that we inform members of the death of Guy Driffield at the age of 88. Guy was a long-time Treasurer of Bristol-Hannover Council, and always supported our activities. He was born in Cologne on 25th April 1924 and after schooling in Germany, the family fled to England at the outbreak of the Second World War. Guy studied German and French at Oxford and subsequently became a language teacher. He taught at Colston's Boys School, and later became Head of Languages at St. Thomas More's. Ann Kennard and Alix Hughes attended his funeral on 13th March at Clifton Cathedral, at which his widow...

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Mayor George Ferguson signed the European Charter on Women’s Rights on Friday March 8th, International Women’s Day, in the presence of representatives of many groups in the city, including Ann Kennard of Bristol-Hannover Council.  Bristol was the first UK city to do this, and we understand that Hannover and Oporto have already done so.  Mayor Ferguson pledged to set up a Women’s Commission for Bristol to develop the key issues for women locally, in particular those of poverty, violence and discrimination.  He said he would rely on the Commission to help him to deliver on these promises. ...

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As a result of a regional twinning event in November 2012 held at the CityMuseum to explore European funding possibilities for Twinning and European Integration, facilitated by the Media Diversity Institute and Alix Hughes of the Bristol International Twinnings Association, Bristol-Hannover Chair, Ann Kennard, attended the AGM of the South Glos Twinning Forum on Thursday 7th March 2013.  Twinning representatives from Filton, Patchway, Yate and Sodbury and District were present, and a useful discussion took place concerning the different activities of the twinnings, and in particular possibilities...

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Congratulations to the Bristol Hannover team, who reclaimed the Paul Garland Trophy by winning the Bristol International Twinnings Association Annual Quiz, held at the Black Swan pub, Westbury-on-Trym. In a closely fought contest, Bristol Hannover held off very strong challenges with Bristol China Partnership pushing them all the way and with Bristol Bordeaux coming in a very close third. Particular credit, however, must go to Bristol Beira, who participated with only two members (three if you count the pub’s dog, which set up camp at their table!) Many thanks to Bristol Tbilisi for organising...

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Bristol Hannover Council Member Almut “Allie” Dunnington and her husband Phil, who run the "Gone With the Wind" hot air balloon tour company and consultancy recently had their work made into a film. In collaboration with Allie and Phil, German channel ZDF and Franco-German channel ARTE, Marco Polo Film AG produced a five-part documentary series on the world's greatest balloon adventures. So it was that on 28th February 2013 that Allie and Phil gave a very interesting presentation at City Hall to members of Bristol Tbilisi Association and Bristol Hannover Council. Their presentation began...

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