Photos
38 guests from Friesenried were visiting North Walsham in June 2023
2022: Meeting again in Friesenried
Unfortunately, there was no visit from North Walsham in 2020 and in 2021.
On this page, we look back on former visits.
2019: In North Walsham - before Brexit and before Covid
Visiting the ruins of St Benet`s Abbey in the heart of the Norfolk Broads we had the opportunity to look out upon the boats, which seemed to sail on the meadows. In fact, the waterways, on which they sail, can hardly be seen. In the past, the old wherry `The Albion`, was used to transport goods on the narrow waterway. The medieval fortification in the village of Castle Rising (from the 12th century) was very impressive. Another highlight – especially for our youngest participants – was Stand Up Paddling on a nearby lake. Again, our visit to the imposing estate and stately home of Blickling Hall, was met with great enthusiasm. In his thank-you-speech mayor Bernhard Huber quoted a slogan from a sign hanging on the wall in the local pub “The White Swan”, voicing the opinion of many participants: “No strangers here…just friends we haven`t met.”
Please click to enlarge!
2018: 20th visit from North Walsham
We went hiking over the moor near the Hochhäderich and we also went to the city of Augsburg. A lunar eclipse enriched the programme further. We had a bilingual church service in St. Joseph, where the youth choir of Friesenried, conducted by Nadja Neidinger, sang for us. We celebrated the Friesenried maypole winning first place for “most beautiful maypole in the area”. At the farewell evening, traditional bavarian music was played by four people from Friesenried, and later on, Christian Stelle played dance music. At Munich Airport, the group from North Walsham were affected by the chaos that came with the holiday start. Their flight was cancelled and they had to wait in a hotel for some days – this was payed by the flight company.
2017: North Walsham
We arrived on the day of the general election, which was still underway. The polling stations were open until 10 pm and the betting offices until 9.45 pm! We visited the Southwold lighthouse (still in use!), Houghton Hall and gardens, and Blakeney Point, where we saw seals on a sandbank. At our farewell evening we were entertained by The Squeegees.
2016: Friesenried
25 years of our official twinning and 35 years of friendship. Just four weeks after Brexit, this political decision was topic for many a conversation. We visited the Isergebirgsmuseum in Neugablonz, where our guided tour was about escape, displacement and integration. We also spent an afternoon in the town of Kaufbeuren, did an excursion to Lindau, went to Seeg, the “honey village”, and went on the Breitenberg by cable car. The highlight was the fantastic concert given by the Friesenried church choir, conducted by Michael Maier, with an orchestra and soloists. At the farewell evening, chairperson Josefine Mader-Schedel and mayor Bernhard Huber honoured those who have done so much to make this long friendship of 35 years possible.
2015: North Walsham
We went on a nostalgic trip with a steam train from Holt to Sheringham, went crab-fishing in Cromer and watched a glassblower at Langham Glass. The latest attraction in North Walsham itself was Davenport’s Magic Kingdom, where old and young people were surprised with perfect magic tricks. In Norwich, Norfolk’s EU projects were presented. The English people’s objection to the EU was a frequent topic. The English are dissatisfied with the fact that they have to pay more than they get out. This is something they have in common with us Germans.
2014: Friesenried
41 english guests stayed in 27 families in Friesenried and its surroundings. In addition to trips to Memmingen, the Kanzelwand, and Linderhof castle, this visit was under the motto “peace and remembrance in Europe”: centenary of the outbreak of World War I, 75 years of the outbreak of World War II, 25 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The joy of being able to meet and celebrate this together – and not meet in the trenches – was voiced in the bilingual church service. Poppies were handed to all church-goers.
2013: North Walsham
35 guests from Friesenried and surroundings spent some interesting and mostly sunny days in North Walsham. There were trips to Saffron Walden and Blickling Manor including a walk in the forest. In King’s Lynn we heard about the century-old connection between England and the German Hanse. In Peterborough we admired the beautiful 800-year-old Cathedral and then strolled around the huge shopping mall.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund both were in the Final of the Champion’s League while we were in England. The headlines in the Times read in German:”Willkommen, Liebe Deutsche.”
2012: Friesenried
40 English guests stayed with 27 families in and around Friesenried. Apart from trips to ‘Tannheimer Tal’, the Roman Bath in Marktoberdorf, the towns of Kaufbeuren, Kempten and Ulm the guests and their hosts took part in a Fun and Games Day. It was organized in honour of the 80th anniversary of the Friesenried Sports Club (photos in the Chronicle).
2011: North Walsham
20 years Community Twinning and 30 years friendship. A group of 33 participants, among them the Mayor of Friesenried Wolfgang Gerum with wife Rita, travelled to the East of England. There were trips to Norwich, the County capital and Cambridge. At the new ‘Time and Tide Museum’ in Great Yarmouth we learned interesting facts about fishing and navigation. The festive evening with music and dancing celebrated the good relations between English and Germans, young and old. Two days in London made this Jubilee Trip complete.
2010: Friesenried
39 guests, among them 10 teenagers, were here. They all listened to a report in English on ‘Kosovo, Youngest State in Europe’ and ‘A School Project Rising Hopes’ given by Dieter Wehnert (PH.D.) and Father Walter Happel. Our English guests took trips to the ‘Bunter Garten’, a community project in Kaufbeuren and Mount Laber in Oberammergau near Ettal Monastery. They also went to Munich where they had a guided tour round the Memorial of the ‘Weisse Rose’, a resistance group during the Time of the Nazi Regime.
2009: North Walsham
The teenagers from Friesenried met the English ones while the grown-ups were met by Norman Lamb, the LibDem MP for North Norfolk. We also had a special day at the nearby beach with walking, building sandcastles and playing Beach Volleyball. Later we sang shanties in a pub at the coast. A visit of the first English whisky destillery, the Nature Park of Pensthorpe (well-known from TV) and the coastal town of Lowestoft completed this year’s trip to North Walsham.
2008: Friesenried
“European Guests at Friesenried” was the topic of a festive evening with visitors from North Walsham and Lovetsch in Bulgaria. English, Bulgarians and Germans performed songs and dances, showed photos and did a quiz about Friesenried together. The next day we crossed Lake Forggensee near Füssen on a ship. Our English guests climbed Mount Tegelberg and went on a trip to Landsberg. In Meersburg at Lake Constance they had a guided tour round the brewery of “Allgäuer Brauhaus”. There was a final farewell evening at the Hinz.
2007: North Walsham
This time our plane started from Friedrichshafen. During a trip to Welney Moor we could see the English passion for birdwatching. The impressive Cathedral of Ely and King’s Lynn, formerly one of England’s most important ports were part of our programme. We saw modern art and listened to a concert at St. Nicholas. In Fakenham we visited England’s last gasworks and admired the huge Red Cliffs of Hunstanton.
Earlier visits
30 years of town twinning Friesenried – North Walsham. May 1991
Monday, 27th May 1991, Community Center, North Walsham: One month later the twinning was signed and celebrated in North Walsham. For this event 73 people from Friesenried travelled to England at the end of May in 1991. 33 of them by plane, 32 by train and some in their private cars. Our Mayor Wolgang Gerum together with his wife Rita and their son Daniel were also there. The special feature of this visit was that for the first time a brass band had managed to join the travellers to England. Dieter Stelle conducted this “project orchestra” with 13 musicians, which marched to church, accompanied the church service and played solemnly when the certificate was signed. (see programme) . Now the mutual twinning was finally completed. (Text from the chronicle)
30 years of town twinning Friesenried – North Walsham. April 1991
Saturday evening, April 20th, 1991: Ceremony in the Friesenried „Gasthaus Traube“: While signing the Twinning Oath: from the right, in front: Stefan Remler, Bürgermeister Wolfgang Gerum, Mayor Neill Woodruff, Dieter Stelle, Jochen Zombek; behind: Anni Klimenta, John Mansfield, Ron Nash, Dieter Wehnert (photo 3)
Sunday morning, April 21st, 1991: Procession to the church – and back again. There were: 22 guests from North Walsham, many people from Friesenried, among them the different clubs with their banners and the brass band. They serenaded after the church service.
40 years of friendship.Visit in North Walsham 1981.
Two months later, in mid-June 1981, 51 people from Friesenried travelled to North Walsham in a coach hired in Kaufbeuren. Four more young men arrived there in their private car. Hosts were found for everyone! The many happy faces show that the guests from Friesenried enjoyed their visit tremendously. A wonderful, special experience!
40 years of friendship.Visit in Friesenried 1981
At Easter 1981 a coach with 52 people came from North Walsham to Friesenried for the first visit. How brave these travellers were! What an organizational achievement of the Friesenried hosts! 18 families in Friesenried, 14 in Blöcktach and three in Eggenthal welcomed these guests. In addition to joint excursions, there was a German-English church service at Easter, a football game (which North Walsham won 1:2) despite the cold snap, and a dance with the Friesenried brassband in our local inn “Traube”. Photos and stories of enthusiastic hosts are evidence of the very funny private evenings. In times of Covid 19, an anniversary is different from what we have known before. There is no common party, only articles and photos in newspapers and on this website. Maybe you know some people in North Walsham who can tell you their experiences of this first visit.
Activities in Friesenried
Photos: Brigitte und Horst Breuer, Maria Ekinci, Volen Evtimov, Bärbel Graf, Marina Greif, Renate Grieshaber, Rolf Halatta, Deliah Hall, Margot Hilmer-Bönisch, Anni und Heinz Klimenta, Hermann Kunze, Josefine Mader, Hanni Prinz, Verena Rappold, Alan Reed, Hans Reffle, Edgar Schneele, Gertrud Stelzner, Gerd Ullinger, Jürgen Wischhöfer, Ludwig Wolf u.a.