Ellesmere Port’s friendship group with the twin town city of Reutlingen is rounding off a busy year with a festive German theme.

The Lord Mayor of Reutlingen, Frau Barbara Bosch, is flying in with a civic party for a three-day visit in December which will include a gluhwein, stollen and mince pie evening at the Civic Hall.

The friendship group explains twinning between the two towns has existed for longer than half a century, originating with the local authority.

Since local government re-organisation in 2009, responsibility for ensuring that twinning continues has been handed over by the borough council to the voluntary Ellesmere Port/Reutlingen Friendship Group.

The group exists to enable links between community groups and others in the two towns. This promotes opportunities for people to meet and enjoy each other’s friendship, culture and to explore experiences and opportunities which are unique to each town.

It describes 2017 as ‘a busy time’ with visits including, among many others, the Ellesmere Port, Chester and Neston Special Olympics group hosting a similar group from Reutlingen, students from Reutlingen undertaking work experience in the area and a student representing Ellesmere Port at an international youth conference in Reutlingen which included delegations from the six other towns across the world which are also twinned with Reutlingen.

Ellesmere Port mayor and mayoress Peter and Sharon Rooney with visiting Special Olympians from their twin town of Reutlingen
Ellesmere Port mayor and mayoress Peter and Sharon Rooney with visiting Special Olympians from their twin town of Reutlingen

Ellesmere Port Catholic High School has also initiated an environmental project working with a Reutlingen school which will visit Ellesmere Port in the spring to undertake further research while some of the friendship group’s committee will be hurrying back from running their annual stall in Reutlingen’s Christmas Market in order to greet the visitors.

The group says: “Frau Bosch and her civic party will be delighted to meet people who have taken part in exchanges over the last 50 years and other citizens who are interested in this international friendship.”

The event will take place at the civic hall on Saturday, December 9 at 7pm. There will be musical entertainment and a demonstration of how to make mulled wine in traditional German style. Tickets, £6, are available from Joan Butcher at the group on 0151 327 5191 or at a tombola stall in the Port Arcades on Sunday (November 26).