Arabska School,Prague sends an Expeditionary Force to Retake Old Ground

Czechs on Czesil beach

Some years back now, Arabska Gymnasium in Prague 6 sent a group of students to Bridgwater every year. Originally under Dr Soucek, then under Pavla Pracnova. For a few years now they haven't been over. But now they're back! This time led by Petra Florianova they opted for a round trip across the South West of England across Wiltshire to Dorset to Devon to Cornwall, back to Devon and then up to Somerset and ending up in Bridgwater.

And here's how it went.

Fri April 28	Fly Prague > Gatwick NORTH 1225arr 1335     14 people/ minibus/ 1415  stopping at Salisbury (1615-1800)  1800 l>Lulworth (2.30hrs) arr 1845 acc;- Lulworth YHA Lulworth ,School Ln, West Lulworth, Wareham BH20 5SA 2000 Evening meal-fish pie
Sat April 29	0800-0900 breakfast 0900-1100 walking in Lulworth 1100 > Weymouth port and beach (30 mins) 1430 >Portland (views of chesil beach) (15 mins) 1530>Hardys cottage (Higher Bockhampton) 1900 evening meal spag bol      acc;- Lulworth
Sun April 30	0700-0800 breakfast Visit to Lyme Regis (1 hour)0900-1100 1100>Eden Project  (1300-1700)  >Lands End (1hr 20) 1830 acc;-Lands End YHA Lands end , St Just-in-Penwith, St Just, Penzance TR19 7NT 2000 evening meal -pasties
Mon May 1	0800-0900 breakfast . Visit to local sites -Penzance, Mount St Michael at Marazion and St Ives 1900 evening meal  -tuna bake    acc;- Lands End
Tues May 2	0700-0800 breakfast 0800 >Visit to Tintagel (2 hrs)1000-1300 1300 > Dartmoor (1 hr) 1400-1600 1600>Bridgwater (1.30hr) 1800 Barbecue party with Czech-English friendship club    acc;-  Model Farm Bridgwater Model Farm, Perry Green, Bridgwater TA5 2BA
Wed May 3	0800-0900 breakfast Visits around Somerset > Glastonbury, Wells, Cheddar, Burnham on Sea,   1900  evening meal – jacket potatoes acc;- Model Farm Bridgwater
Thurs May 4	0700-0800 breakfast 0800 to Bath 0930-1230   1230> Bristol 1330-1530 1530 >Bristol airport by 1620 for 1820 departure

Bridgwater's Third Annual Twinning Conference

Bridgwater is proud of it’s internationalist heritage and for the 3rd year running highlighted this whilst promoting it’s 5 twin towns from across Europe during the weekend of 22nd April including an Internationalist ‘drop in’ at the Angel place and a ‘Twinning Cabaret’ at the Art’s Centre.

The Somerset town is twinned with La Ciotat (France) Homberg (Germany) Uherske Hradiste (Czech Republic) Marsa (Malta) and Priverno (Italy). La Ciotat and Bridgwater are celebrating 60 years of twinning this year whilst Homberg and Uherske Hradiste celebrate 25 years.

Twinning ‘drop in’ at Angel Place

On Saturday April 22nd all the twinning groups held a day time event in the Angel Place Shopping Centre , Bridgwater with stalls advertising their activities and how to get involved alongside samples of food and drink from their partner countries. This lasted from 11am to 2pm.

As a special ‘taster’ the visiting Italian musicians played a few songs before their evening show.

AFTER DARK are an Italian 3-piece rockabilly band featuring guitar, double bass and drums. They come from Bridgwater’s Italian twin town Priverno.

Twinning ‘Cabaret’ at the Art Centre

On the evening of Saturday 22nd April there was a Twinning Cabaret Evening at the Bridgwater Arts Centre which featured performances from the Italian rockabilly band AFTER DARK and the folk band PEPPE’S BAND from our Italian twin town, Priverno alongside local acts the Alima Janaan belly dance troupe and as a one-off treat, town council leader Brian Smedley  teamed  up with singer songwriter Claude Sandiford to present Brian and Claude’s Multinational Big Band.
The evening event started at 8pm and included items from our twin towns including video clips, face to space link ups and live performances. 

Easy as Speaking

French students sacrifice themselves to the Gods of Orienteering

Following on from the initial school links started up again in 2016, a group of French students from La Ciotat again came to Bridgwater, stayed at Model Farm and linked up with Bridgwater College Academy. The French students were provided by Nathalie MacAndrew, the English students by Anna Jackson, the catering by Kath Pearce, the barbecue by Claudia Swain and the programme, the driving, the orienteering, the costumes, the admin and the extra catering by Brian Smedley.

SUN 16 APRIL	Flight Marseille 11h25 Londres Gatwick 12h15 Landing at  1215 EZY8724 (EasyJet) NORTH Collected at 1300 by Brian in a minibus. >(own arrangements for packed lunch).   tour of London Driving tour of sights of London. 1530 Museum of London* ( free) 1530-1730        >>1830 hostel 1930 meal    OVERNIGHT  in London at YHA + evening meal included YHA THAMESIDE Address: 20 Salter Rd, Rotherhithe, London SE16 5PR
Mon 17 ap	Breakfast;- time tbc (0815) / depart 0920 (bus will be packed with luggage) Meet Paul for Harry Potter tour -   1000 Charing Cross rd for Leicester Square:     12h15 collected  Eastbound near Embankment Gardens> Borough ( Southwark street/Hop Exchange) Lunch;- sandwiches (handed out at Embankment) 15h30 St Pauls (St Pauls Churchyard) after walking across the millennium bridge ( westbound stop SH) >Kings Cross. Dropped at Pancras road (between Kings Cross & St Pancras international stations) 1730 collected again at Pancras road 1730  Kings Cross to Bridgwater (arrive 3 hours later c 2030) 2100 evening meal - steak = kidney pie/chick pie/+ salad/desert (Kath)
Tues 18 ap	Breakfast 0815-full cooked (Brian) 0850-1220 Lessons at Model Farm 1220 lunch (sandwiches at model farm 1220-1250)(Kath) 1250 depart for school 1310-1445 Afternoon in Bridgwater College Academy  in interactive lessons Cooking, Sports, Arts, Design and technology, Stylism Afternoon – Bridgwater Town Centre-art centre costumes visit-return to Model Farm 1730-2000 rest/hot tub and 1830 evening meal/ shepherds pie-salad + desert 1900 Easter Egg Hunt (Sue and Josh Hickling) 2000 evening programme of English films
Wed 19 ap	Breakfast 0815 (Brian) 0850 -1220 Lessons at Model Farm 1220 lunch (sandwiches at model farm 1220-1250) (Kath) 1250 depart for school 1310-1445 Afternoon in Bridgwater College Academy  1445-1700 Quantocks -dead womans ditch-maps-orienteering (flexible) depart 1700 >1730 1730-1900 rest/hot tub and 1900 barbecue (Claudia)  + British guests- 2000 evening programme of English films
Thur 20 ap	Breakfast 0815 (Brian) 0850-1220 Lessons at Model Farm 1220 lunch (sandwiches at model farm 1220-1250) (Kath) 1250 drive to school 1310-1445 Afternoon in Bridgwater College Academy  1445-1730 Glastonbury (arrive 1515) - brief stop on Tor/  1630 afternoon cream tea at Abbey Tea Rooms-   1730 visit to clarks village Depart 2000 2030 evening meal – chicken kiev- broccoli potatoes (Kath) 2100 evening programme of English films
Fri 21 ap	Breakfast 0815- full breakfast (Brian) 0850-1220 Lessons at Model Farm 1220 lunch (sandwiches 1220-1250) (Kath) 1250 depart for school 1310-1445 Afternoon in Bridgwater College Academy  1500-1730 watch films in afternoon 1730-1830 rest and hot tub 1845 drive to skittles 1900-2100 skittles/food at Bar 27(Mayor) -returned to model farm at 2130
Sat 22 ap	Breakfast 0800-0900 /full day at Twinning Conference/ 1000 to Angel Place shopping centre/ French stall- French group will be provided with tables to do what they wish with in conjunction with Bridgwater-La Ciotat group (sandwiches at 1230 in Angel Place) 1500 stalls finish-French returned to Model farm 1600-1800 relax at farm + hot tub + 1815 evening meal- gammon/carrots/peas/potatoes (Kath) -quiet time at farm 1900 returned to art centre 1930-2300 Evening event at Art centre including Italian musicians + presentations on stage by different nationalities-French students to have 10 minute presentation on  la ciotat 2300 returned to Model Farm
Sun 23	Breakfast 0730-0800 (Brian)   - Programme > Gatwick via Oxford- 0800>Oxford (arrive 1015)  1015-1215 walk and `1215-1315 picnic in Oxford – 1330>Gatwick by 1530  Arrive at Gatwick by 1540 Londres Gatwick 17h40 Marseille 20h35