Club News and Pictures

Frankenberg Diary

Thursday, 14thMay 2009

We arrived at the Hotel Sonne in Frankenberg in the early afternoon, our friends from the Rotary Club of Frankenberg having met all 18 of us at the airport.

It seemed a long day after Air Berlin decided we should be taken to Hanover rather than Padborne Airport and then bussed across country.

After settling in to the beautiful Hotel Sonne in the centre of Frankenberg, we were refreshed in time for the Welcome Dinner. Many of the members and their partners joined with us for a wonderful evening of Rotary fellowship. Entertainment was presented by "Johanna Tripp Jazz", a vocal group from the school who provided a very amusing and entertaining programme of pop and comedy songs. All in perfect English of course!

Friday, 15th May 2009

In the morning we enjoyed a Guided Tour through Frankenberg. We were taken into the upper floor of the Rathaus (Medieval Town Hall) where we took in the history of the town and saw the original town twinning documents.

Following a pleasant lunch in the Rat Schanke Hotel we went off to the town for a guided tour of the town museum (Kreisheimatmuseum) followed by a look around the shopping area.

In the evening those who had visited us in Manningtree two years ago hosted us for private dinners. Another example of Rotary fellowship which was enjoyed by everyone.

Saturday, 16th May 2009

We went off to the "Nationalparkzentrum Kellerwald" to the very modern ecological multimedia exhibition including a multi-sense "4-D" film show showing the wild-life in the park. The film was in 3D with the 4th Dimension being smells and breezes and water spray wafting around.

The Manningtree/Frankenberg Group outside Nationalparkzentrum Kellerwald

Following a fine buffet lunch we set out for the Eidersee and Edersee Dam for a boat trip with "Café and Cooken" followed by an inspection of the Dam of "Dam Busters" fame. We then went off to a private museum of "Verein Sperrmauer Museum Edersee" showing the history of the Edersee air raid in 1943). This included a screening the last part of the original Dambusters movie.

After that busy day, we returned to the hotel to recover, ready for an evening in the Philippo Bar at Hotel "Die Sonne" again with our Frankenberg Rotary Club friends.

All too soon Sunday morning dawned and most of our group said their fond farewells and returned to the airport and home.

Seven of the group remained, all to stay on for the Monday Rotary meeting where Manningtree Rotarian Lyn Gedny gave a presentation on the Mozambique schools project to which both clubs had contributed. The presentation was very well received and both clubs were pleased to see how well their funds had been spent. Another fine example of how Rotarians help their fellow people in other parts of the world.

Lyn Gedny answering questions after his talk

to The Rotary Club of Frankenberg