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This site was produced by: LOCAL
AUTHORITY PUBLISHING
Publishers for local authorities throughout Great Britain. View
more Official Guides at www.officialguides.co.uk |
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In
March, 1995, the Sevenoaks Town Council was approached about forming
a friendship link. Rheinbach was already twinned with Villeneuve
lez Avignon in France, and had a friendship link with Deinze in
Belgium. That September, the Sevenoaks Town Council hosted an open
meeting, and a Steering Group for ‘Friends of Rheinbach’
was formed: we were in business.
Since then, significant group, family and individual visits have
taken place, in either direction. We have introduced cricket to
Rheinbach! A school exchange is up and running. We have also been
able to arrange work experience for a few students each year, and
this has proved very successful. Our last visit featured a trip
to the famous German Christmas Markets and we exchanged Christmas
cakes with our German hosts. So, what and where is Rheinbach?
Rheinbach is a small, pleasant modern town with some earlier features
- the attractive inner town has many striking half-timbered buildings
and the remains of a castle. It is a commuter town for Bonn and
Cologne. It lies in agricultural environs but includes, on its outskirts,
significant and growing industrial and commercial areas. Its population,
taking into account the surrounding villages, is about 30,000.
Rheinbach has three grammar schools, a music school, a College of
Technology and a superb sport and swimming centre. It is well-known
for its glass industry, including a major training facility - glassmakers
from Bohemia relocated in Rheinbach in 1945.
Rheinbach is within easy reach of Sevenoaks whatever your mode of
transport. Budget airlines from Gatwick offer flights to Cologne
/ Bonn Airport (Less than one hour from Rheinbach); fast rail
links using Eurostar, with changes in Brussels and Cologne or under
eight hours if driving using the Tunnel link.
The connection with Rheinbach is open-ended. You don’t need
to speak German - quite a proportion of our membership has very
little, or none at all. But if you want linguistic, educational,
cultural, social, sporting, commercial, craft, - whatever! - links
with Germany, come and join us, and let’s see what we can
do together!
Would you like more information, or someone to come and talk to
you and your members? - ring the Secretary, Chris Sutton on 01959
523320 or email: chris.sutton@aseuro.co.uk
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Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication
and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct,
the publishers and promoters cannot accept responsibility for any
inaccuracies. Reproduction of any part of this publication in any
format, without permission, is strictly forbidden. Photographs:
Courtesy of Nicholas Cave, Ann White, Jean Holmes, Kate Kendell,
John Ingram and Richard Parry.
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