Besigheim

Newton Abbot Twinning Association had arranged a twinning trip, for September 1984. We went from the Monday to the Monday, there were 18 of us in the group. We were taken to Gatwick Airport by coach and flew out to Stuttgart, where our DRK friends were waiting for us, with transport (ambulances) to take us all to Besigheim. We had a marvellous time visiting so many places in the short time we were there and again we made new friends on the way out, amongst our group,  for some of whom it was the first time we had met. Some of our group on top of the tower. Down from the tower. We meet up with Harald the runner again in Stuttgart. We are taken to meet the Fire Chief of Besigheim. Looks a bit like Peter Ustinof. I said I should not have driven the tram!!!!. Not guilty. Taken in Heidelberg. View of Heidelberg from the King’s seat, nice ride up on the mountain railway. Entrance to salt mine in Heilbronn. This balcony is carved out of salt. They also have a long slide you can go on, cut out of the salt but with a steel top, it's about 10 mtrs long. Now 1985 has arrived and we are back out for the bi annual Winzerfest, translated means ‘Wine-Grower party’. Sticker in Spitfire window. Besigheim in the morning before the start of the Winzerfest, very quiet but not for long. Here we go first drink of the day, and not the last. On the left of the photo are our two new French friends, who Monika and Wolfgang host as well as us. Again we can’t keep away from the DRK friends. The one in the blue shirt, Ernst, was out in Lubeck when I was stationed out there on the Berlin Airlift with the R.A.F. and he was behind the counter serving in the mess, we met up again on our trip in 1983, small world. Our hosts took us on a trip to the island of Mainau, in the middle of lake Constance. The flower sculptures were out of this world, as above and below. We had lunch with the French twinners in a building opposite the railway station in Besigheim. Monika, Patrick, Martine, Marie France, Michele, Barbara and Wolfgang. Since we last visited the vineyards they had put in a lift, so it was much more easy to get to the top. Newton Abbot taking part in the Besigheim Winzerfest parade 1997. Neville, Chris Seed and me, (just see the brim of Chis's black and white hat between us).  We were dressed, as in my Fair Lady. The photo above and those below were taken at the 2001 Winzerfest parade, the  last time Barbara and I went to Besigheim. NEXT STOP AY - CHAMPAGNE