Category: Bristol
Welcome to the latest news from the Bristol Bordeaux Partnership. Today we are inviting Members to join us on the 18th October to help plan the Bristol Bordeaux Partnership visit to Bordeaux in June 2024.
Encouraged by some informal visits this year, we’ve started conversations with our friends at the Association Bordeaux Bristol about an organised Members visit next year, aiming for June 2024. We’d centre this on the Bordeaux Fete du Vin, which will run from Thursday 27th June to Sunday 30th June. Please hold these dates, ideally through to Tuesday 2nd July, in case we aim for a few days extra.
The time is right to start planning, especially as EasyJet has just released their summer 2024 timetable: helpfully, five flights a week between Bristol and Bordeaux, not the Wednesdays or Saturdays.
But the invitation now is to get involved and help us plan the visit to Bordeaux. Please join us at our scoping meeting at 7:00pm on Wednesday 18th October, at the Berkeley Square Hotel.
Our broad agenda will cover:
1 The Fete du Vin itself. This is a very sociable time in Bordeaux: outdoors, by the river, and we may well aim to obtain tickets that entitle you to 11 tastings. Crucially, these would be over the four days, so you can drop by afternoon or evening.
2 Wider events and outings. Both in the city – the more established sights and relative novelties such as the light show in the big submarine pen: Bassins des Lumieres – and near the city – wine villages such as Saint Emilion? The coast at Arcachon? How much would you like organised, how much free time?
3 Travel and accommodation. For many EasyJet flights will be the easiest, but other options? Different types of accommodation according to individuals’ budget?
We are also starting to organise a visit to Bristol by Association Bordeaux Bristol members, likely to be in September 2024. We may get to discuss this a little, but it won’t be a major focus of the evening.
Please let us know if you can join the planning meeting, or indeed if you’d like to join the trip in principle, and write back with your thoughts. But we’d very much like to meet you on the 18th!
A bientôt!
A short review of Bristol Bordeaux Partnership activity in 2022.
It was such an honour and a privilege to host Pierre Hurmic ( @pierrehurmic ) the Mayor of Bordeaux and the City of Bordeaux @villedebordeaux delegation to our recent AGM. He kindly answered our questions and talked about the main climate challenges that he believes our two cities are facing. A very interesting and emotional meeting to remind people that the long relationship between our cities is more alive than ever.
Bristol Bordeaux Partnership Team
Categories
Bristol Bordeaux Exchange Reunion
Do you know someone who knows someone who went to Bordeaux for an exchange?
If it’s a yes, he/she will more than welcome to share his/her memories to Bristol Bordeaux Partnership last event of the year.
Located in Sea Mills, this FREE event will be the perfect opportunity to celebrate the long history between our 2 cities. Link to event here.
See you there!
Categories
ABB Visit to Bristol 13-17 July 2022
Late in the evening of 13th July, five members of l’Association Bordeaux- Bristol arrived at Bristol Airport and were met by Mike and Teresa of the Bristol Bordeaux Partnership, who took them to their hotel/lodgings in Clifton/Horfield. In the group were Michel and Huguette Bordeau, Valérie Bonnet, Maggy Leglise and Nathalie Pasquier.
The following morning – ‘le quatorze juillet’ and a beautiful day – Vivien, Rob and Teresa took them to Clevedon, where, for ‘morning coffee’ at No. 5, The Beach, Nathalie was delighted to be served tea in a teapot with a tea cosy – knitted by the granny of one of the waitresses!
A visit to the historic and beautiful Victorian pier was appreciated by all and was followed by lunch at the Glass Box restaurant.
In the evening, some met with David Vowles, longstanding member of the original Bristol Bordeaux Association, and friend of many, at Teresa and David’s (not forgetting Monty) in Sea Mills.
On Friday morning all five Bordelais, now joined by Joël Goumy and his wife Marlène and accompanied by Thomas and Vivien, met up with Rob Collin, a Blue Badge Guide for the South West, who conducts walks which focus on the history of slavery in Bristol. He took the group on a short walk in the centre which was packed with information: indeed he proved to be both extremely knowledgeable and totally passionate about the need to accurately convey to visitors the facts about the slave trade in Bristol, particularly of course in relation to the part played by Edward Colston.
Rob was very impressed by Huguette’s knowledge of some aspects of Bristol history and he was very touched when Huguette presented him with a copy of her book about John and Sebastian Cabot.
He was also impressed by the keen interest shown by the group in the rather difficult subject matter. I think he would have happily extended the tour well into the afternoon but lunch had been booked at the Watershed and the group had to leave their guide on College Green.
To mark the 75th Anniversary of both the Bristol-Bordeaux and the Bristol-Hannover twinnings, members of BBP and ABB, together with a strong representative from the Bristol Hannover twinning, gathered on College Green, to await the arrival of the Lord Mayor of Bristol. Tea and cake were served in the City Hall and speeches given by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Paula O’Rourke, the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Peaches Golding and Dr Ann Kennard, chair of the Bristol Hannover Council. There was also a video recorded message from the Mayor of Hannover who was unable to attend in person as he had contracted Covid. The speeches were followed by an uplifting performance from RISE, the youth dance group.
A special cake had been made for the occasion…
On Friday evening, still not exhausted by the day’s activities, some of the Bordelais group managed to meet up with old friends from previous visits.
On Saturday the Bordelais were free to visit the Harbour Festival at their leisure and in the evening the group, now joined by Cathy Barquero and her daughter Ethel, her sister and a friend from Bordeaux, met for a very pleasant farewell meal at The Lion in Cliftonwood.
Some of the group flew back to Bordeaux on Sunday and others managed to fit in a few more visits to old friends before flying home on Monday.
This project has been developing over the past few years. It has previously targetted schools, colleges and universities. A coffee or cocoa producer from Nicaragua comes to our city and visits schools and colleges by arrangement. They speak about their life as a food producer with emphasis on how little they are paid in the food chain compared to supermarkets, distributers and the like. They also work in classrooms with role play and similar games. University students are used to interpret. The university involved are so pleased at this real life situation that they awarded £1000 to the project last year. This year the focus is on business. Hoteliers, restauranteurs and catering colleges who buy in bulk and go on to work in hospitality in future have been involved. The aims are; Awareness raising for sustainable topics. Sustainability in the entire city administration. To implement international, ecological and social development goals at the local level. To show possible actions for sustainable lifestyles To develop local strategies and to promote dialogue.
This is a very current and worthwhile initiative between the developed world of Europe and developing world of the coffee/cocoa producers of Nicaragua.
We had a very successful Black History month event at the ColstonHall on 17th October. M. Lopez from the Mairie in Bordeaux gave an excellent lecture on L’Histoire de L’Esclavage in Bordeaux that parallels Bristol’s own sad history of slavery.
But we also had excellent musicians from Senegal and buffet food from Senegal-Gabon.
An informative and most enjoyable evening.
A huge congratulations to all our riders and a massive thanks to all the support staff .
Here the very successful stall organised by BBP & Colourful Minds at Upfest 2018.
Children were asked to make facemasks and suncatchers for windows.
The stall attracted a lot of interest all day !
Not only children asked for masks : some adults also got creative…
With the participation of LadyJDay, French artist from Bordeaux.
Mask created by children, based on LadyJDay’Artwork
Lady JDay’s Artwork at Upfest 2018
French Artist Darry Perier at Upfest 2018
