Over the August bank holiday weekend a 35-strong contingent of our German friends came to Chichester for three days of activities. The sun shone throughout, showing the city and countryside at its best.
The programme was a mixture of formal and informal, group and individual. Saturday evening saw a reception arranged at the Assembly Rooms on North Street. Outside, warm words of welcome were bellowed by Town Crier Richard Plowman, followed by a performance from the Fishbourne Mill Morris dancers. Inside, there were speeches by Friends of Speyer Chair Bob Long, Deputy Mayor James Vivian, and Friends of Chichester Chair Matthias Nowack. Then food and drink, including award-winning sparkling wines presented by Ashling Park, and catching up with friends and making new ones.
On Sunday, people split into various groups to explore Chichester and surroundings. One group headed off in their finery to Goodwood Races; another to see the outdoor sculpture at the recently opened Goodwood Art Foundation. There was also a tour of Chichester Cathedral and visits to Fishbourne Roman Palace and Arundel.
On Monday a coach took many to West Dean Gardens, and a few braved the traffic and crowds at West Wittering, with everyone meeting back in town for a farewell dinner. Given there were so many of us, this was split between two restaurants, Brasserie Blanc and Park Tavern.
And finally, closing the circle, there was a coffee-and-biscuits send-off on Tuesday morning, again at the Assembly Rooms, with just enough time to take a photograph of everyone. We look forward to visiting Speyer in September 2026.