"Friends of Bocholt" as guests in Bocholt

21 guests from the "Friends of Bocholt" from the English twin town of Rossendale were guests in Bocholt last weekend. The host was the German-British Society Bocholt e.V., which had organised the biennial exchange with great commitment. The guests had travelled partly by plane and partly by ferry and were hosted by Bocholt host families.

The programme kicked off on Friday evening with a convivial "Social Evening" with a reception hosted by Deputy Mayor Gudrun Koppers. She warmly welcomed the guests from Rossendale and thanked the German-British Society Bocholt for the dedicated organisation of the visit. She particularly emphasised the importance of the host families: "I would like to thank the host families who opened their doors and gave our guests a temporary home", said Koppers.

Andreas Becker, Chairman of the German-British Society Bocholt, had previously welcomed the guests and host families. He emphasised the special value of personal encounters for the town twinning: "Nothing is better than meeting in person, looking each other in the eye, giving each other a friendly hug, talking and laughing together in a friendly and cheerful way", said Becker.

City tour, LernWerk and encounters in Bocholt

The programme for the English guests offered a variety of insights into Bocholt. In addition to the social evening, the programme included a tour of the city, a visit to the current exhibition in the LernWerk Bocholt appendix and a meal together at the Gasthausplatz. Mayor Christian Mangen also briefly welcomed the guests from the English twin town in person.

The host families had also prepared their own programme. Some visited the first coal mine in the Ruhr region in Witten, others travelled to the city of the Peace of Westphalia in Münster or to the state capital Düsseldorf. In addition to the impressions from Bocholt, the visitors also gained insights into the region and beyond.

Looking forward to 75 years of town twinning

Jacs Barker-Rourke, the new Chair of the "Friends of Bocholt", emphasised the special significance of her new role during her first visit to Bocholt in this capacity: "It is an honour and a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Chair of the 'Friends of Bocholt' - especially in view of the upcoming 75th anniversary of the town twinning of Bocholt and Rossendale next year", said Barker-Rourke. This weekend was already full of ideas for next year, when Bocholt and Rossendale will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of their town twinning. On Sunday and Monday, the guests travelled home with a wealth of impressions.