News

In February 2013, Airline bmi regional announced the launch of three new European routes from Bristol Airport with flights from Bristol to Munich, Milan and Hannover. Bristol Hannover Council greatly welcomes the new direct flight connection to Hannover. Please see below for a statement from BHC written by our longest serving member Dr John Veale. “Bristol-Hannover Council rejoices in the prospect of an air-link between Bristol and Hannover, and congratulates bmi on their initiative. Bristol-Hannover Council was founded in 1947. Since then many thousands of Bristolians have travelled to Hannover,...

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Having very much enjoyed our visit to the Bristol Watershed on 29th September 2012 to see "Barbara" (2012), we ventured that way again on 23rd February 2013, this time to see “Lore” (2012). From director Cate Shortland (“Somersault”) it is a gripping story about five siblings raised during the 1930s trying to adjust to life in post-war Germany. With a pre-film gathering in the Watershed bar for food and drink, a great time was had by all. See you there again when the next German film is on.  

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On Monday 11th February we celebrated ‘Rosenmontag’ at the Black Swan pub in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. Rosenmontag is the name given in the Rhineland to what is known elsewhere in Germany as ‘Fasching’, and in other countries of Europe as ‘mardi gras’ - it is a very big day in Germany/Austria. So it was in the true Germanic spirit that we gathered for an evening of German food, drink and good spirits, accompanied by traditional “Karneval” music. We were also honoured to be joined by the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Peter Main, who sang along to the “Karneval” songs with...

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The Lord Mayor, Councillor Peter Main, joined Bristol-Hannover Council on Sunday to enjoy the fun and food at this year’s German Market in Broadmead.  Harry Wegener of Wela, the firm in Osnabrück which organises the Christmas Market here in Bristol, was delighted to welcome 20 Germanophiles for Bratwurst, Wiener Schnitzel, Bratkartoffeln and Glühwein.  The Lord Mayor was given a tour of the stalls in Broadmead, sampling a crepe with cinnamon as he went, and admiring the rock salt candles and half-timbered house ornaments with incense candles sending smoke up the chimney.

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On 24th November 2012, members of Bristol Hannover Council joined fellow twinning associations from Bristol and the surrounding regions at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery for a day of discussions. The event was organised by the Bristol International Twinnings Association (BITA) and the Media Diversity Institute. The main focus was for Twinning Association members to share their experiences and learn about ways to apply for European funding for local projects. After a morning when members from all associations came up with excellent ideas to promote the value of twinning, Inna Petrenko from...

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Students of English from the Goetheschule in Hannover recently visited their counterparts in Cotham School, who are studying German. They and their hosts were warmly welcomed by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, and enjoyed tea and biscuits in this lovely building. This is the 17th year of their exchange, which started in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of the Bristol-Hannover city partnership in 1997. In 1995/6 a group of VI formers travelled with what was then called the ‘adult exchange’ – the exchange of citizens which still takes place in alternate years between the two cities,...

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This year’s AGM opened with a reminder from Councillor Peter Main, Bristol Lord Mayor (2012-13) that 2012 marks the 65th anniversary of the Twinning Agreement between Bristol and Hannover. The Lord Mayor expressed his admiration for Bristol's joint-oldest Twinning and said it was tremendous foresight for two countries, which had been at war only two years previously to sign a Twinning agreement. He also asked to put on record his thanks to Councillor Colin Smith (Lord Mayor, 2010-2011 and Second Vice-Chair of the Bristol Hannover Council) for his work and concluded that it was wonderful to see such...

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This year’s Bristol Harbour Festival (20th-22nd July  2012) was hugely successful as over 300,000 people headed down to the historic harbour-side over three days of beautiful weather. The Bristol Hannover Council was there too along with Bristol's other twinning societies. Outside the Arnolfini, visitors were able to enjoy traditional Chinese songs, test their German and enter a raffle for a bottle of Nicaraguan rum - all at the same time! The Bristol Hannover stall offered a warm German welcome (pretzels included) and fun German-related activities to all. The “How’s Your German..?”...

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This year (2012) marks the 65th anniversary of the Bristol-Hannover twinning and saw the Bristol Hannover Council visit their counterpart society - the Hannover Bristol Gesellschaft - in Germany. The Council was accompanied by Bristol choir the Westbury Singers who, with Hannover-based choir Canta Nova, would sing at a special service at Hannover’s famous Marktkirche. In addition to a wonderful tour of Hannover, the Hannover Bristol Gesellschaft took us on excursions to the historic town of Hildesheim and Cloppenburg Museum Village. Like Bristol, Hildesheim is home to the mother churches of both...

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The Ashton Boys Under-16s football team were planning to visit Hannoverin July this year to play Eintracht Hannover, as well as visiting Hannover 96 stadium and Olympic Centre, Herrenhausen Gardens etc.  Unfortunately this is not possible this year, but they plan to invite Eintracht to visit Bristol in 2013.  It is hoped that this will become a regular fixture in the Bristol-Hannover youth and sport calendar. Bristol-Hannover Council will give financial support for this project.

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