Newsletter - June 2006
Dear Member
Welcome to the second issue of the ATA newsletter. We have had some very positive feedback from members on both the format and the content and I would personally like to thank Marian Baldwin for her support in developing this.
With six months of my Presidency already completed, it is pleasing to report that with the support of your committee, we have not only launched the new Website and attracted a number of new members, but especially pleasing is the improved profile of the Association within the local community through our activities and a variety of reports in the press.
We still have a long way to go though in revitalising our links with the schools, facilitating sports exchanges and attracting younger members.
If you believe you can help in any way, we would welcome your support in the future.
TWINNING VISIT TO FRANCE
Over the weekend of 2nd - 4th June a small group of Twinning members made the trip to Bricquebec. The party left on the fast boat to Cherbourg on Friday afternoon arriving in Bricquebec around 20.00 in the evening where we were greeted in the main square by our hosts for the weekend. The rest of Friday evening was spent with the individual families at their homes over a "get to know you" meal.
We were blessed over the weekend with glorious sunshine and exceptional hospitality.
On Saturday the group met up at the Town Hall for a Reception hosted by the
Deputy Mayor, Madame Sigwalt, where we were able to reaffirm the desire of
the two towns to revitalise and develop links between the two communities.
The afternoon was spent visiting various places of interest together with our hosts … including the seaside resorts of Barneville-Carteret, the spectacular coastline of La Hague, the smallest port of France, Port Racine and many other interesting locations.
In the evening, Chantal Greard hosted a meal at her house for everyone. We enjoyed not only good company, but an excellent "Raclette"… and a few!!! bottles of wine. The evening eventually broke up early Sunday morning!
A slow start to the day ... with a visit to the "Donjon". We all met at 11.00 to climb the tower and had everything explained to us by Jeannine. A fascinating insight into the history of medieval Bricquebec and the Norman relationships with the English!
Sunday afternoon was again spent as tourists with our hosts before departing
on the 20.00 fast boat back to Portsmouth.
A wonderful weekend for which we would like to extend our thanks to the families that hosted us: Andre and Dominique Vone, Guy Pichon, Christian and Francoise Orieux, Alain and Jeannine Bavay… and above all to Chantal, the new President and husband Herve, whose hard work made it all possible.
St John’s Church 9/10/11 June 2006 in celebration of The Queen’s 80th Birthday
We would like to thank Joan Oglivie very much for doing the Association’s lovely flower arrangement showing our links with Bricquebec.
“A BIG THANK YOU JOAN”
COFFEE MORNING SATURDAY 8 APRIL 2006
Around 50 people enjoyed freshly made coffee and warm croissants
in the John Pearson Hall. Tables set with red and blue gingham cloths and flowers set the festive atmosphere that was greatly enhanced by Bob Wheeler playing his accordion. He was joined later by a friend playing the Irish Bodhtan.
About eight people expressed interest in joining the Twinning Association. We welcome those that have already done so and hope they will enjoy joining in with our other activities.
Janet Goodman
SPRING WALK SUNDAY 23 APRIL 2006
On a drizzly Sunday morning a group of 19 members and 3 dogs gathered at 10am at Appledown Lane for a 6 mile walk, with a planned stop at the Tichborne Arms for lunch.
At the start John Rabjohns explained that about two thirds of the distance would be covered before lunch, leaving less than two miles to walk afterwards.
Fortunately the rain was light and although it remained overcast it was dry before we arrived at the pub at 12.30pm.
Numbers for lunch were swelled by the arrival by car of another half dozen members and friends. After welcome refreshment the group set off for the short walk back to the Alresford feeling pleased they had made the effort to turn out on such a damp day.
John Rabjohns
UPDATES
SCHOOLS
With an eye to the future, we are trying to target young people and families. Local schools are aware of our website and we hope toto it in the future to make it more pupil friendly.
The Alton College Jazz Band has a thrivingexchange with their counterpart in Bricquebec. Their March trip had to be postponed at the last minute because of storms in the channel and ferry cancellations but they are now planning to go over in September.
Our poster competition, aimed at Perins pupils did not attract the response we had hoped for but at least we have learnt valuable lessons about how to get our message across in a busy school department. We are hoping for better results with our forthcoming quiz.
Cathy Swann
NEW MEMBERS
Again I am pleased to announce a few new members. I am sure you will join me in welcoming Graham and Ann Neal, Bob and Susan Shannon, Cheryl Greenwood & family, as well as Mark Richardson and Claudia Townsend to the group.
Mark is an ex Perins pupil, but has recently relocated back to Alresford together with Claudia after having lived in London for sometime. If you want a new bespoke, high quality kitchen, then Mark is the man !!
CLUBS
During the recent visit to Bricquebec, Terry Foreman held meetings with Michel Pautane (Football Club), Maryse Picot (Badminton) and Jean-Jacques Castelain (Tennis) to discuss future exchange programmes. All parties are keen to
develop relationships, but as ever the prime difficulty is arranging suitable dates in view of congested fixture lists.
The Badminton Club would like to send over a small delegation in October 2006 and have suggested a more formalised inter club tournament in June 2007 in France.
The Tennis Club would also consider a small group initially to visit Bricquebec in September/October followed by a larger Tournament next year in June 2007.
The football is more difficult, as we will need to compare fixture lists. However, they felt that maybe a “social team”, might be an easier way of kick starting the interchange.
We may also have the opportunity of agreeing an exchange visit with the Rugby Club “Ouest Cotentin”, who are based out of an old chateau at Flammanville about 12 km from Bricquebec. This is a fantastic location …. well worth a visit just as a tourist!!
Contact was also re-established with friends from the veterans’ football exchanges, who would now like to renew relationships with their Alresford counterparts on the golf course!! Knees aren’t what they used to be!!
Terry Foreman
OBITUARY
It is with sadness that we report on the sudden death of Neill Greatorex-Bell, son of Eric and Sabine, on 23rd March 2006.
Neill was a long standing member of the Association who enjoyed talking to everyone at the various social events. He enthused about his travels and he had a passion for aeroplanes.
We will miss him.
Town Signs
It was at the 2002 ATA Summer Wine Party at the Grange that David Goodman as a member of the Tourism and Recreation sub-committee of the New Alresford Town Council (NATC) talked to me about a proposal to install new town gateway signs for Alresford to replace those erected by the Alresford Society in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. David said that the ATA, Chamber of Commerce, Alresford Society and Rotary Club of Alresford were all being asked by the NATC to put forward suggestions for a new town gateway sign that would do justice to the town and reflect its connections with the railway and Bricquebec. A working party was being set up under George Hollingbery to consider proposals. David asked me to ensure that the ATA produced some proposals.
My first inclination was to panic as I had little idea how I, or the ATA, were going to contribute much to this project. I decided to contact a good friend, Alan Lyne, who had been an industrial designer before he retired and who is also an accomplished artist. He agreed to sketch some ideas. Six nice outline designs arrived and were presented to the first meeting with George Hollingbery. The ATA were the only people to have any detailed proposals and it was quickly decided that one of Alan’s designs was worth taking forward. I was asked to put some flesh on the design.
Following more input from Alan I produced a colour artwork for which Alan had chosen the colours imaginatively, with, for instance, the green of the word ‘Alresford’ alluding to the railway connections of the town. Also, of course, the crests of both Alresford and Bricquebec. I did a visualisation to help the working party and NATC to see what the completed sign might look like in place on the road. Unfortunately, this early rendering got quite a wide circulation and all hell broke loose! Why were the bricks that funny colour? Is it because Wrigley is colour blind? Why was that bit that funny green and that bit sky blue pink? I explained that the colours could be changed at the stroke of a mouse and eventually the row died down.
After preliminary approval from the NATC I did an accurate artwork for submission to the roads department of Winchester County Council who must vet all signs. A meeting was held with them and it was here that it hit me that I might really be out of my depth. The roads people said that the signs were legally road signs and as such had to meet lots of regulations which were far too complicated for me to comprehend. As proposed the signs broke lots of these rules and would have to be extensively redesigned! I was told by the officials that I had better hand over the design to the WCC so they could redesign it for us. I didn’t like this idea at all and said that if they would tell us what rules had been broken I would amend the design accordingly. It all went very quiet for a long time but eventually a letter arrived detailing my heinous transgressions of road sign law! Actually, there were only about three and I agreed to mend my errant ways. As a result I spent many happy hours on the internet (baked beans for supper again) studying the regulations for road signs, among which are the typeface to be used (a special one called Transport) and the sizes of text to be used. After making the changes, it was with some trepidation that I turned up for my meeting with the Winchester City Council official to show my latest effort to him. I felt a bit like a naughty schoolboy resubmitting his rejected homework to the teacher! To my amazement my homework was accepted and no further changes were requested.
After a final meeting with the NATC, it was exciting to hear that the project had been allocated funds and given the go-ahead. NATC project manager Mike Heal had been appointed to see it to completion. He did sterling work, forming a team, choosing the contractors and generally keeping it all together. Very kindly he kept me in touch with progress. It was even more exciting to attend the official inauguration and cutting of the tape in April.
My thanks are due especially to Alan Lyne for the imaginative concept work, and to David Goodman for his support throughout the project.
Peter Wrigley