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'Typically English weather '
RELENTLESS sunshine - "typically English weather" it was said by hosts - greeted 41 visitors from Friedrichsdorf (13 guests) and Houilles (28) for the International Weekend 2009 from May 29th to June 1st.
They arrived on the Friday, the French by Eurostar and the Germans by air and faced a weekend of activities which ranged from a guided tour of Oxford and its colleges on Saturday to a buffet dinner and dance on Sunday. But first the visitors, many of them regular visitors to Chesham but some on their first trip here, relaxed over dinner on the Friday evening at the homes of their hosts.
Ten Chesham members accompanied the visitors to Oxford by coach on Satuday where, on arrival, they split up into two groups with French-speaking guides and one with a guide who spoke in German and English. The tours all ended at Christ Church and picnic lunches were enjoyed in Christ Church Meadows. After that visitors could do as they chose before meeting again for the coach journey back to Chesham. One or two visited Oxford's famous Botanical Gardens, others found the shops - plenty of M & S bags in evidence on the way home - and others strolled down to the river where the final day of Oxford Eights Weeks was in full swing. This was a very British scene, with the college boat houses bursting at the seams with supporters of the various crews cheering their teams on, while other students sold Pimms, ice creams, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the very hot sunshine - all in aid of charity.
Sunday morning was taken up with a Civic Reception at the Town Hall, at which new Town Mayor Councillor Justine Fulford welcomed the visitors. Other short addresses came from Michel Mossant, a Deputy Mayor of Houilles, and from Hajo Brüggemann, representing the Mayor of Friedrichsdorf. These were followed by a recital of Scottish songs by Chesham Town Twinning Association member Patricia Gairdner, or Patricia Purcell as she was known professionally. Patricia has sung in many of the world's top opera houses, including Covent Garden and La Scala, Milan, and has appeared before our Royal family.
For Sunday afternoon there was a choice of tennis at Chesham 1879 Tennis Club, a walk around Pednor led by Andrew Ketteringham, or relaxing at home with hosts before moving to The Elgiva for the evening's dinner and dance to the music of Headstone Blues Band, making their third appearance at Chesham International Weekends. There were short speeches from Chesham chairman Peter Fletcher and the presidents of the German and French twinning committees, Irmgard Thorisch and Dominique Levet.
Departures on Monday were at various times, the French being the first away from The Broadway at 8.45am. Messages since the weekend have emphasised its success. Hajo Brüggemann, vice-president for Chesham on the Friedrichsdorf committee, wrote: "I would like to say a big thank you to you for this superbly organised weekend . . . new ones who were for the first time in Chesham were deeply impressed by the hospitality and cordiality of their hosts." And his counterpart in Houilles, Laurence Force, wrote: "Everything was perfect and our members came home very happy and satisfied . . ."