|
In 1984 interested members of the town along with the
Town Council investigated the possibility of Thornbury twinning
with another town in Europe of approximately the same size and character
as Thornbury. Eventually it was discovered that Bockenem
in the Hildesheim District of Lower Saxony fitted the criteria.
It is easily accessible but most importantly, the people were warm
and friendly with a genuine desire to twin with Thornbury. So, in
Thornbury on 13th September 1986 and in Bockenem on 25th October
of that year, charters were signed and twinning began.
The nearest large town is Hildesheim itself and the nearest city
is Hannover, about 50 km distant. Like Thornbury, Bockenem is close
to a motorway, in its case the E4 Hamburg to Kassel autobahn which
gives it excellent communications with other parts of Germany and
the ferry ports. There are a number of local links with this part
of Germany in that Bristol is twinned with Hanover, Weston-super-Mare
with Hildesheim and Yate with Bad Saltzdetfurth, which is almost
exactly the same distance from Bockenem as Yate is from Thornbury.
The countryside surrounding the town is basically flat and a patchwork
of arable fields. This area of plain is roughly triangular in shape
and on all three sides there is higher, more wooded terrain within
5 or 6 km. To the south-east, at about 12 km, the land rises more
steeply into the foothills of the Harz Mountains. The most striking
feature of the area of plain is the lack of isolated buildings.
Between the neat villages and hamlets there is nothing but fields
immediately prompting the question “Where are all the farms?”
The answer is that they are in the villages and in Bockenem itself.
This was discovered by some surprised visitors from Thornbury staying
in a house in the very centre of the town, only a few yards from
the Rathaus (Town Hall), when they were awoken on their first morning
by the sound of cows being milked immediately below their bedroom.
Bockenem itself is smaller than Thornbury but within the area administered
by the Town Council there are 17 villages and hamlets which bring
the total population nearer to that of Thornbury. Bockenem is a
town which has grown with new residential development, and also
like Thornbury, there is an industrial estate at one end of the
town. The first years of twinning saw numerous exchange visits with
many friendships being made, giving a firm indication that the twinning
will continue to thrive and grow.
The Twinning Association encourages and supports exchange visits
by groups organisations, families and individuals. Visitors to Bockenem
usually stay in the homes of members of the Bockenem Twinning Association
free of charge, and similar hospitality is offered to German visitors
to Thornbury.
For further information contact the Secretary, Thornbury Twinning
Association, Town Hall, High Street Thornbury. 01454 412103
|
