The following 7 pages are on my experiences of Twinning. This is NOT an official Twinning website. The first British - German twinning was between Bristol and Hanover in 1947. Newton Abbot has been twinned with Besigheim in Germany since 1979. The wife and I got involved in 1983, when the Besigheim Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz) invited the Newton Division, of the British Red Cross, (we were both members), if they would send some of their members out to a celebration for their 50 years as a unit in Besigheim. After getting permission from the British Red Cross, National Headquarters, to go and take our uniforms with us, we were told we could only wear them for the official celebrations and not at any other time, the planning began. There were six of us, five ladies and myself. The day finally arrived and found us outside the bus station in Newton Abbot ( the bus station has long since been demolished) waiting for our coach to London Airport. The flight was on time, next stop Stuttgart. First down was me, to take the photos, then it was Marion, Nellie, Louise, Joan and my wife Barbara last. Our new friends from the DRK were there to meet us. They were from left to right, my wife Barbara, Marion, Gerd, Louise, Ulrich and Joan, where Nelly had got to I don't know, she could be taking a photo beside me?. On the way we were given a running commentary of the places we passed. On arriving at Besigheim we were taken to the DRK House and introduced to everyone and told who we would be staying with. As we were not certain we would be staying at the same house we had packed two cases just in case but we need not of worried as we were together in the same house. Neither the wife or I spoke any German and the little I had picked up when I was in Germany in 1948 with the R.A.F., on the Berlin Airlift, was not as good as I thought but we had no worries because most of the DRK spoke very good English. Our host Wolfgang Bopp was the President of the Besigheim DRK and spoke very little English but his wife Monika spoke it fluently. I took a photo of them outside the DRK House before we went with them. So started a friendship that still goes on today. We arrived on the Friday 1st July and were due to leave on the Monday 4th, after spending some hectic and exciting days in and around Besigheim. We were taken to Monika and Wolgangs house in the town of Sachsenheim and spent an enjoyable evening talking and drinking the local red wine. The next morning we were taken to the Town Hall in Besigheim, and welcomed by the Mayor Herr Wener Grau. After we left the Town Hall we were taken for Lunch in the Restaurant "The Anchor" in Church street. After Lunch we went to the Regional Head Quarters of the DRK in Ludwigsburg, with the DRK Members, who gave us a tour of their offices, equipment and vehicles. We then had coffee and cakes, then we were driven back to our Hosts to get changed into our BRCS Uniforms for the celebrations. At 6.00pm there was a staged incident with the DRK, Police and fire Service. During a break in the incident we were introduced to the oldest member of the DRK, Karl Pfefferle. Joan with the plaque made in Newton Abbot as a present for the DRK. We then headed for the DRK House for the celebrations. They had erected a large marquee at the back of their House, as we approached we heard the band playing. It was full of people sitting at long rows of tables, drinking and eating. We were shown to our table at the front of the marquee, just by the band and were introduced to the rest of the DRK Members. Then it was time to celebrate. After a noisy but enjoyable evening it was time to say goodbye to all our new friends and look forward to seeing them all the next day, at the various functions that had been organised. On Sunday morning our host Monika took our group up above Besigheim to see the view and the vineyards, they stretched for miles. We then went back into town and had a look around and I think we had some food. Took more photos of the beautiful town of Besigheim. In the evening it was back to the DRK marquee for more food and drinking, this time we could let ourselves go as we were out of uniform. Like all good things, the time came to say goodbye to everyone and give out invites for the DRK members to come over to Newton Abbot some time next year. TO BE CONTINUED ON NEWTON ABBOTS PAGE.