SpringFest March 2021
You can re-live this fantastic event by viewing the four videos below. (Click the blue link to watch each video)
- Photos of Spring / Foto di primavera / Fotos des Frühlings / Photos du printemps
Talent collectif de jumelage / Kollektives Talent der Partnerschaft / Talento collettivo di gemellaggio - Altenlotheim Bettina Heck mit drohne / drone
- Macbeth (Shakespeare) 3 witches / 3 Hexen/ 3 sorcières / 3 streghe
- Breakfast / Colazioni / Petits déjeuners / Frühstück
- ‘Communicate’ - Dance / Danza / Danse / Tanzperformance
- Ziegenlied / Goat Song/ Canzone di capra/Chanson de chèvre Renate Thuma
- Pottery / Keramik / Poterie / Ceramica - Susie Botting
- Breakfast / Colazioni / Petits déjeuners / Frühstück
- Oh Heck ! - An der Fitness teilnehmen/ Partecipa al fitness / participer au fitness / Heck Familia
Geh aus meine Herz und such Freud Möllers
- ‘Miss, you keep lagging’. - Edith – School at home / Scuola a casa / École à la maison / Schule zu Hause.
- ‘Get Lucky’ – Saxophonix
- Breakfast / Colazioni / Petits déjeuners / Frühstück
- Water is wide / l’eau est vaste / das Wasser ist breit / L’acqua è ampia The Wessons
- Edersee
- Champs Elysée – Erin Rowlatt
- Breakfast / Colazioni / Petits déjeuners / Frühstück
- Melodie nel bosco/ Airs dans le bois / Melodien im Wald / Tunes in the Wood Chad Bean
- · Friendship Walk
- Happy Wanderer/ Joyeux Promeneur Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann / Mio padre mi diceva che’ /
Thanks, Grazie, Merci, Danke to all.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Twinning Cabaret - January 2021 - online.
In January 2021 we teamed up with partners in Die (France) Frankenau (Germany) and Varallo (Italy) to share entertainment online.
We recorded the acts and they can be watched in 4 X 15 minute sections.
The tremendous show can be viewed in four parts in these videos below.
Feedback from the History of Stoney Wood presentation
Grazie per questa bella iniziativa, è stata molto piacevole e interessante.
Natalie
Thank you very much for an extremely well-organised evening-
Marion Blenkinsop
Gehard Bastet
I wanted to send my thanks and praise to everyone who created and presented the event yesterday evening. It was not only a real triumph of technology to bring us all together so cleverly and so smoothly, but a hugely informative and entertaining session and I was really glad I’d been fortunate enough to take part.
Foreign Films Evenings
December
Lore (2012)
German drama set in the aftermath of World War Two.
November
Les Gardiennes (The Guardians) (2017) Certificate 15
French with English subtitles
An affecting human drama of love, loss, and resilience unfolds against the backdrop of World War I.
The women of the Paridier farm, under the deft hand of Hortense, the family's matriarch must grapple with the workload while the men, including two sons, are off at the front.
October
Western (2017), Certificate 12
In German and Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
German construction workers start a tough job at a remote building site in the Bulgarian countryside…
This culture clash drama was one of Cannes Film Festival’s official selection in 2017 (in the Un Certain Regard section).
September
NLC / WTA Partnership Launch
Cllr. Andy Jordan, the Mayor of Wirksworth, joined us on 30 September for the first of our Foreign Film Evenings this season to celebrate our co-operation with Northern Light Cinema and marked our gratitude for their invaluable help in working with us towards our shared aim of bringing international films to Wirksworth.
We showed...
C'est La Vie (2017)
French comedy (with English subtitles) Cert. 15
WTA welcomes visitors from our link town Varallo
Grazia and Uberto arrived in Wirksworth and spent the 2019 Festival weekend getting to know the town.
They were very kindly hosted by WTA members Lucia and Phil.
Afternoon tea at Carsington
Artwork from students of the Varallo school was displayed at Anthony Gell over the weekend.
Carnevale comes to Carnival
Monday 27 May 2019
The sun shone, Wirksworth came out to cheer the parade and we won 2nd prize for our outfits (walking groups).
Thanks for supporting us and Wirksworth Carnival 2019!
Quilters join forces
HNA - Frankenberger Allgemeine, 23 May 2019
See below a copy of the article published in HNA - Frankenberger Allgemeine, showing the quilt which has been created by the quilters of the Garden Route Eder Lahn Diemel with the help of quilters in our twin towns of Die and Wirksworth. The article describes the joint work that will be exhibited at the Jubilee Festival in Frankenau. The name for the community quilt is "Partnerschaft - Partenariat - Partnership".
Buongiorno di Varallo!
3 March 2019: Nine visitors from Wirksworth, including our Mayor, Chris Whittall, were hosted by members of the Varallo Twinning group over the Carnival celebrations.
Wirksworth Twinning Association Annual General Meeting Friday 23 November 2018
Held at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall, St John’s Street, Wirksworth
Many thanks to those of you who joined us for the AGM. We looked back over the last 12 months and forward to the next 12 (there will be more to follow on the Frankenau trip when we have more details…). We also invited you to let us have suggestions for Twinning and we’ll be looking at those at the first meeting of our new committee next month. If you couldn’t be there and have any comments or suggestions you’d like to make, please do let us have them.
For those of you who weren’t able to be there please click here to download a copy of the presentation that was given.
Our friends from Dios Jumelages have sent us a link to their website where you can see news of their latest events:
http://dioisjumelages.fr
Die Cantat joins the Wirksworth Community Choir for the 'Wirksworth Remembers' Concert
3 November 2018
On 3 November Wirksworth Community Choir welcomed singers from Die Cantat for the WW1 commemoration concert, which was held in St Mary’s Church. Singers from Raise Your Voices who travelled to Die in August also joined the choirs for the concert.
Tuesday 28 May
La mafia uccide solo d'estate (The Mafia Kills Only in Summer)
Monday 20 May
Lazzaro Felice (Happy as Lazzaro)
Cert 12A Italian, with English subtitles
Lazzaro, a good-hearted young peasant, and Tancredi, a young nobleman cursed by his imagination, form a life-altering bond when Tancredi asks Lazzaro to help him orchestrate his own kidnapping.
Monday 25 March
Victoria - Cert.. 15 German and English, with English subtitles
One girl. One city. One night. One take
Four local Berliners recruit a thrill-seeking Spanish woman to be their getaway driver for a bank robbery.
Monday 25 February
Un Amour Impossible (An Impossible Love) - French with English subtitles
It's 1958 in Châteauroux, a small town in France and a couple takes to the dancefloor to dance to a song by Dalida, whose premonitory words will haunt the forty years that follow this love at first sight
Monday 28 January 2019 - French Film Evening
Polina, danser sa vie (Polina)
December 2018, St Mary's Christmas Tree Festival, Wirksworth
26 November 2018 - French Film Evening
A full house at The Northern Light Cinema enjoyed Au Revoir La-Haut
Die Cantat joins the Wirksworth Community Choir for the 'Wirksworth Remembers' Concert
3 November 2018
Wirksworth Community Choir welcomed singers from Die Cantat for the WW1 commemoration concert, which was held in St Mary’s Church. Singers from Raise Your Voices who travelled to Die in August also joined the choirs for the concert.
29 October 2018 - Italian Film Evening
Many thanks to those of you who joined us to see Come un Gatto in Tengenziale at The Northern Light Cinema for another of fund-raising Foreign Film Evenings.
8 and 9 September 2018 - Die artists at the Wirksworth Festival
We were delighted to welcome four artists from Die who took part in the Arts & Architecture Trail:
· Laurence and Jean-Paul Empi
· AnnieGuéron
· Guy Nicod
Over 300 visitors saw examples of their work, which was exhibited at the Moot Hall. See more details here on the Festival website.
21 - 25 June 2018 - Our Twinning Friends visit Wirksworth
We were delighted to host over 70 visitors from Frankenau, Die and Varallo over a weekend which coincided with the "Wirksworth Hidden Gardens and Courtyards" event.
The sun shone and guests and hosts alike enjoyed making new friends and meeting up with old ones in a very colourful and vibrant Wirksworth.
Click here to download a pdf copy of the booklet of messages from representatives of the four twinning groups which were shared at the host meal at the Town Hall.
See below links to photos taken by:
Pam Taylor https://www.flickr.com/photos/150453447@N03/albums/72157696769107261 and
Phil Richards https://www.flickr.com/photos/philwirks/albums/72157697861942744 .
And the video below for further photos... and a little bit of footage.
30 April 2018 - French Film Evening
Our film this time, La Famille Bélier, was a light hearted French film. We hope everyone enjoyed it. We raised some welcome funds for the visit from our twinning partners in Die and Frankenau and new friends from Die's twin town in Italy - Varallo, who we hosted in June.
26 March 2018 - German Film Evening
We enjoyed another successful evening at the Northern Light Cinema, watching German comedy drama Toni Erdmann and raising funds for our host visit in June. As always, many thanks to those who came along and particularly to those who brought nibbles.
16 March 2018 - Wirksworth Community Quiz
Many congratulations to our re-named "Do or Die" quiz team who did do and didn’t die at the Community Quiz, finishing a very commendable 7th out of 36 teams. Thanks to Andrea, David, Diane, Malcolm, Judith and Jim for their collective brainpower. We also had the vicarious triumph of another Twinner, Vicky, lifting the trophy as part of the winning Wam Bam Band team. Congratulations to the Wam Bam team too! And very big thanks to Phil and Paddy for organising another excellent community evening.
29 January 2018 - French Film Evening
Thanks to those of you who were able to join us at the Northern Light Cinema to see “Sarah’s Key”. We hope you found it as interesting and thought-provoking as we did. A big thanks also to those who brought delicious canapes. We made almost £200, which will go towards putting on a varied programme of activities for our guests in June; we can’t do it without your support and we’re very grateful.
January 2018 - Discussion on Biodistricts in Die
In January Wirksworth sent representatives to an event called Rencontres de l'Ecologie, which promotes organic and sustainable living.
Read report 1st Feb 2018 in Matlock Mercury 'Wirksworth trio share ideas for going green on visit to twin town Die'.
The event runs every year from 25 January - 2 February and includes a meeting of people from Biodistricts in different countries.
Link to Rencontres del'Ecologie website here.
The Wirksworth session got a really warm reception. A big part of this was the montage of voices from local people (a mix of French and English). Thanks to everyone for support and contribution.
See - and hear - Des Voix de Wirksworth here
18 - 22 October 2017 - Visit to Die, our twin town in France
 |
Over 40 visitors from Wirksworth were joined by twinning friends from Frankenau, Varallo, Kiskunfélégyhaza and Doughé and hosted by the wonderful people of Die. Merci beaucoup à tous nos amis de la région du Diois! You made us all feel so welcome! Have a look at the programme of events here For a link to Phil Richards' photos see here. |
Ci-dessous le lien de notre site où vous trouverez les photos des trois jours de fabuleuses rencontres d'octobre: http://dioisjumelages.fr/ And here is a link to the photos taken by our Varallo friends. |
|
Have a look at the programme of events here
2 October 2017 - French Film Evening
A very popular light-hearted comedy romance (Cert. 12A), with English subtitles at the Northern Light Cinema. Read a review of the film here.
A French public servant from Provence is banished to the far North. Strongly prejudiced against this cold and inhospitable place, he leaves his family behind to relocate temporarily there, with the firm intent to quickly come back.
A very popular light-hearted comedy romance (Cert. 12A), with English subtitles at the Northern Light Cinema. Read a review of the film here.
A French public servant from Provence is banished to the far North. Strongly prejudiced against this cold and inhospitable place, he leaves his family behind to relocate temporarily there, with the firm intent to quickly come back.
12 to 20 August 2017 - Die Summer Choral Course
Read a report by Alison Baird about the trip
Watch the video of the visit:
Listen to the whole Haydn choral piece here:
23 and 24 September 2017 Wirksworth cyclists joined friends in Die to celebrate La Drômoise 2017
Read about the visit here: Wirksworth cyclists head for Die's mountain cols
24 September 2017 - Arts & Architecture Festival Finale at Stoney Wood
9 and 10 September 2017 - Diois Diorama at the Arts & Architecture Festival
Phil Richards has been travelling to Die since the early 1990s, and has been inspired by the light, the landscapes and by the laughter shared with friends there. Phil exhibited a selection of his electronic images and digital prints - “Diois Diorama” - at his home during the Festival weekend.
As well as seeing Phil's “Diois Diorama” exhibition, visitors had a chance to have a go at DAP (Dynamic Auto Painter). In the garden there were sculptures by the wonderful Duncan Thurlby and ambient music from the fabulous Black Spring.
A slideshow of images of the work of artists from the Die area was also shown in the Town Hall over the weekend.
11 July 2017 - Wirksworth extends links to Italy Wirksworth
A group of Italian and French young people took part in an International Youth Conference which also included Anthony Gell students.
The visitors were hosted by Mount Cook Centre on Porter Lane, Middleton. WTA Co-chair Judie Taylor said: 'We were delighted to support the conference which brings together young people from Wirksworth and our twin town in France and we were really thrilled that we were also able to welcome young people from Varallo in Italy.' Varallo is twinned with Die and this event followed a visit by several members of the WTA Committee to Varallo in April, as part of a wider international celebration of Twinning. We are hoping to use the twinning network to build on our existing links with Die and Frankenau to develop friendship with Varallo. During the visit to Italy, Committee members experienced the stunning scenery and marvellous architecture of the Piedmont region and used the occasion to catch up with friends from our existing twinning partnerships, who also attended the gathering.
Quotes from participants:
I adored the international youth conference because: I could see some people again ( Fay and Holly , Raph and Betty) I could also meet new people. I could visit Wirksworth and see the English countryside. We laughed a lot! – Margot (Die)
I really enjoyed the international youth conference it was nice to see the people I knew already and to make new friends ! The activities were great I especially enjoyed the climbing! It allowed us to practice the languages we learn at school and learn some new Italian!! - Holly (Wirksworth)
I learnt a lot about your history Quarry and the industrial past. I improved my English and my way to socialise with other people from different countries and cultures I learnt that there's a lot in common between us ... we're all teenagers! For this reason it was great spending time in Wirksworth with you I love walking so Wirksworth has a lot to offer me. I also learnt to adapt myself to something new but at the same time very interesting. It was useful - Camilla (Varallo)
To see pictures click here
10 July 2017 - Another enjoyable evening of film!
We'd like to thank WTA members and friends who joined us at Northern Light Cinema on Monday 10 July for an evening of film. This followed our successful evening of French film back in May. This time we saw the action-packed German film Lola Rennt after snacks and drinks, and the event proved just as popular, raising valuable funds in preparation for the visit to Wirksworth next year by our French and German friends. A big thankyou also for the generous donations of delicious nibbles.
We were delighted when, just before the film, Andy Pollock presented a cheque for £200 to WTA Treasurer Jim Hickman, as part of funds raised at the Mayor's Charity Ball in May. Many thanks, Andy!
13 August 2017
Bike ride, walk and picnic at Carsington
  |
  |
  |
 |
Sunday 25 June 2017 We held a musical breakfast in the Town Hall Club Room
Monday 29 May 2017 - Bank Holiday Monday - Wirksworth Carnival Procession
Take a look at the video put together by Alastair and Jim
Monday 8 May 2017
Twinners and friends enjoyed a French Film Evening at the Northern Light Cinema. Intouchables proved to be a great choice of film - a surprisingly uplifting film enjoyed by all. And canapes too!
Friday 11 November 2016
Our AGM was held at 7.30pm at the Memorial Hall on St John's St in Wirksworth - Twinning Association AGM - we had a packed meeting of interested members and non-members.
Friday 18 November 2016
A Great Fun Event!
French Wine and Cheese Evening
Twinning members and guests enjoyed an amazing wine tasting event at the Town Hall on Friday 18th November. We enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine, followed by six very good quality bottles of wine per table along with French bread and cheeses. We had to identify the wines from descriptions which entailed plenty of research! In between our wine tasting efforts we had a quiz along wine/France lines. Special thanks from all of us to Judie Taylor for all her work in organising this.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
9 - 11 September 2016 - Wirksworth Festival welcomes artists from Die and Austria
Three artists from Die exhibited during the weekend of the Art and Architecture Trail
In addition to the French artists, an Austrian artist exhibited their work and work of the school students was also on display. There was a free clay workshop on Saturday in the Art room and the Art department provided a café.
 |
 |
 |
| Susan Rayfeld | François Lagrange | Emmanuel Mergault |
Saturday 6 August
Bike ride / walk and picnic at Middletop Top
Music: 'l'Hérisson' with kind permission of Saska
9 June 2016
Visit reunion
We held a little “reunion” at the Hope and Anchor in Wirksworth, to follow up on the visit, share our thoughts… and see some few photos!
Wirksworth visit to Frankenau
35 WTA members visited our German twin town of Frankenau for a few days in May. We were joined by our twinning friends from Die.
We were wonderfully looked after by our German hosts and it was a chance for us not only to meet up with old friends and make new friends with our fellow twinners in Frankenau and Die, but also to make new friends within the Wirksworth group.
 The Edersee dam. |
Peak Advertiser 6th June 2016 Read the whole article |
 Flags at the Louisendorf BBQ. |
Matlock Mercury 14th July 2016 Read the whole article |
 Saying goodbye to our friends from Die. |
 |
10 December 2015
Louis Bertrand of RDWA (Radio Die) has sent us what he describes as:
'the first edition of a musical broadcast which is a love declamation to english musical heritage and generally speaking to England'.
The Froggy Rosbeef Love Show
click here to download mp3 audio file
and here is the Youtube video response from Alastair Clark
18 November 2015
Young people from Die
talk about their visit to Wirksworth
on Radio Diois (in French).
Click here to download
 |
 |
Lyliane et Claire, membres du Conseil d’administration de Diois Jumelages ont accompagné un groupe de douze jeunes de 13 à 17 ans à Wirkworth, la ville anglaise jumelée avec Die. Mathilde, Jane, Eli et Swan, quatre de ces jeunes qui ont participé à ce voyage vont raconter leur voyage. Parallèlement, Lyliane et Claire préciseront quelque-uns des projets de Diois Jumelages . |
Friday 13 November 2015
Wirksworth Twinning Association Annual General Meeting
The Minutes of 2015’s AGM can be read here (available shortly) and click here for this year's Agenda.
The AGM is an important constitutional gathering of WTA members to hear about recent and upcoming events and also gives you a chance to put forward your ideas for the future of the Association. But it is also an opportunity for non-members to find out about us.
Monday 2 November 2015
Click here to download
Sunday 18 October, 2015
>>click on the picture to see a larger version>>
A group of young people from Die visited Wirksworth in October and were hosted
by families in and around Wirksworth. As part of their programme of activities,
Suzanne and Alastair Clark led a family bike ride from Carsington Water.
9 October, 2015
German wine tasting
12/13 September 2015
Artists from Die visit Wirksworth
Over the Wirksworth Festival weekend WTA were serving teas/coffees and cakes
at our Twinning Café in Anthony Gell School main hall, and had a display of art from
two French artists, Emmanuel Mergault and Ali Benyahya.
>>watch the video to see more:
click the subtitles button to see English subtitles>>
And a few photos:-
20 July 2015
Tiedel Sow of Die writes in Community Fayre about the Tour de France passing through Die
11 July 2015
Bike ride, walk and barbecue
4 to 8 June 2015
Die and Frankenau visit to Wirksworth
Guests from Die and Frankenau, visiting in June 2015,
enjoy a guided walk to Wirksworth Eco Centre.
See some photos below or go to our Facebook page.
6 February 2015
Flossie Malavialle
Town Hall, Wirksworth
See here for more photos from the event.
Flossie at the Wirksworth Twinning Association
event in Wirksworth Town Hall.
October 2014
Wirksworth visit to Die
See photos from the trip here.
July 2014
Wirksworth Visit to Die by bike
- see the photos here and here.
2013
Wirksworth visit to Frankenau
See photos here.
February 2008
German evening
See article in the Matlock Mercury
May 2007
Die Visit to Wirksworth
October 2007
Wirksworth Visit to Die
