Thanks to Suzanne and Alan for this report from the recent visit by guests of the Twinning Association. Ed
On 24th May a group of some 20 Germans from Coburg, Bavaria, arrived on the Island as guests of the Twinning Association. Maria Krumm, leader of the Coburg group and other members met with Peggy Jarman Chairman of the Island Group. Peggy has been involved with the Twinning Association for some 30 years when it was formed during the time of South Wight Borough Council.
For their stay the visitors were based at The Sandringham Hotel, Sandown where Cllr Ian Ward, Chairman of the Isle of Wight Council and Mayor of Sandown Gary Young welcomed the group to the Island. Gary Young presented the visitors with a Sandown plaque.
Following Prince Albert
Osborne House was the destination for a visit with Prince Albert (Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel; later The Prince Consort ; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) an obvious link for the visitors.
English Heritage made the group welcome by hosting refreshments in a special room. Whippingham Church was also on the itinerary again with its special links to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.
Meeting other ‘twinners’
A round the Island trip was also arranged with viewpoints including Freshwater Bay and the Needles and there were informal get-togethers for the Germans and local ‘Twinners’ some of whom had visited Coburg last year.
Several of the visitors indulged their passion for walking with walks to Culver Down and a late evening walk along the beach to Shanklin just as the moon was rising.
Literary talk
On Tuesday evening (May 28th) Edgar Piper arranged a special opening at Waterstone’s Book Shop, Newport in conjunction with the store manager Paul Armfield.
In welcoming the visitors to the book shop Edgar Piper said,
“We wanted you to come this evening to find out more about the Island.”
Edgar had asked along, to that end, two Island Authors Jan Toms and Wendy K. Harris who were on hand to talk to the visitors about their books based on the Island.
In welcoming the group Paul Armfield said he had spent some time in Germany. In fact he had recently visited Stuttgart. Special guest for the evening was Mary Case, the Island’s High Sheriff.
Some of the novels written by Wendy K. Harris have been translated into German and she was pleased to offer these as gifts for the visiting group whilst Jan Toms presented Maria Krumm with a copy of one of her books saying it was a gift for everyone from Coburg.
