Twin town links strengthened as Alnwick hosts residents from Voerde in Germany
Twin town links have been strengthened after Alnwick received a visit from residents of its German twin town.
To revive the once-vibrant exchange, the board of the Voerde Local History Society decided to organise its first-ever citizens’ trip to Alnwick
A group of 34 residents set off from North Rhine-Westphalia and travelled via ferry and coach.
Some travellers had already visited Alnwick 50 years ago as schoolchildren; others were setting out for the first time to get an impression of the twin
town, forge new connections or renew old ones.
Thanks to a knowledgeable guided tour by Anna Unger through Alnwick’s medieval-style town centre, everyone soon felt very much at home there. A little later, they were able to explore the imposing castle and gardens at their leisure.
But they also found the surrounding area charming. The visitors from Voerde enjoyed Holy Island, Hadrian’s Wall and Edinburgh.
Mayor of Alnwick, Geoff Watson, and various councillors welcomed the group for a delicious snack, which provided the backdrop for a range of conversations. The afternoon ended with singing: Martina and Lena Reimann had written a song about the twinning and got people from Alnwick and Voerde to sing along together in German and English. This continued over dinner the following day.
The ‘Study trip to Alnwick/UK to strengthen the town twinning’ – to use its official title – is funded by the ‘Europa-Schecks’ state initiative of the Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media, and Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine- Westphalia.
Alnwick is also twinned with Lagny-sur-Marne in France and Time Kommune in Norway.