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NEWS and EVENTS
Joan of Arc festival in Rouen, 20 - 29 May
This will be a spectacular ten days with exhibitions, performances, processions, concerts and other events for children and adults. There will be demonstrations of ironwork, calligraphy, weaving, pottery, stone-carving and woodwork.
More about it here.
Food tour from Normandy !
Normandy came to Norwich on Sunday 1 May in Chapelfield Gardens. Hundreds of people enjoyed demonstrations and samplings of the best Normandy recipes and tastings of Norman cheese like Mimolette and Pont l'Evêque. Famous drinks from the region like cider, beer and Calvados were also on offer to taste and to buy. The afternoon ended with a performance of The Hackers, a French band whose equipment is run on solar power. The tour also took in Hastings, Windsor, and Canterbury. In Hastings the Souvenir Normand group gave it a very warm welcome! Souvenir Normand has links with many countries with connections to Normandy. Read the report on the food tour's visit to all four cities!
Normandy came to Norwich on Sunday 1 May in Chapelfield Gardens. Hundreds of people enjoyed demonstrations and samplings of the best Normandy recipes and tastings of Norman cheese like Mimolette and Pont l'Evêque. Famous drinks from the region like cider, beer and Calvados were also on offer to taste and to buy. The afternoon ended with a performance of The Hackers, a French band whose equipment is run on solar power. The tour also took in Hastings, Windsor, and Canterbury. In Hastings the Souvenir Normand group gave it a very warm welcome! Souvenir Normand has links with many countries with connections to Normandy. Read the report on the food tour's visit to all four cities!
Rouen in the spring - Réveil naturel !
So much is happening in Rouen - here's the latest Rouen magazine which you can read as a flip-book and a link to the tourist office.
Beccles twinning association is very active ! Beccles is twinned with Petit Couronne which is a few kilometres southwest of Rouen. You can find more about Petit Couronne here.
On 2 June there is a pop-up café at Blythburgate in Beccles from 2 - 4 pm. Click on the poster for more information.
This is England film festival
Now in its 11th year, this exciting festival of British-made short films and organised by the Rouen-Norwich-Club is taking place from 12 - 20 November in Rouen.
Now in its 11th year, this exciting festival of British-made short films and organised by the Rouen-Norwich-Club is taking place from 12 - 20 November in Rouen.
Armada 2023
The dates are confirmed: 8 - 18 June. Not to be missed - a spectacular along the Rouen quaysides with tall ships from all over the world. For more information see here. NNRFA is planning their visit to coincide. If you're interested, we welcome new members, so join NNRFA here.
The dates are confirmed: 8 - 18 June. Not to be missed - a spectacular along the Rouen quaysides with tall ships from all over the world. For more information see here. NNRFA is planning their visit to coincide. If you're interested, we welcome new members, so join NNRFA here.
New twinning initiative - bridge!
Norwich's Noverre Bridge Club played Bridge Club Mont St Aignan in Rouen in January. Nine teams of four from Rouen played against nine teams of four from Norwich. They play on a system called Realbridge, with this they can see and hear their opponents rather like Zoom but with the bidding and hands visible at the same time. The result is scored automatically by computer. It is the nearest thing to Face-to-Face Bridge and thanks to the internet players can be anywhere in the world. The Noverre Club website is www.bridgewebs.com/noverre and for Rouen www.bridgeclubmsa.com/ Further information from David Ellis, 01603 464061.
Norwich's Noverre Bridge Club played Bridge Club Mont St Aignan in Rouen in January. Nine teams of four from Rouen played against nine teams of four from Norwich. They play on a system called Realbridge, with this they can see and hear their opponents rather like Zoom but with the bidding and hands visible at the same time. The result is scored automatically by computer. It is the nearest thing to Face-to-Face Bridge and thanks to the internet players can be anywhere in the world. The Noverre Club website is www.bridgewebs.com/noverre and for Rouen www.bridgeclubmsa.com/ Further information from David Ellis, 01603 464061.
New links between The Garage in Norwich and a theatre company in Rouen
Three students on the HNC Programme in Performing Arts at Norwich's The Garage visited Rouen during the 2021 This is England film festival. They wrote up their experiences here and gave an informal performance about their visit. A return visit to Norwich from Le Saffran Collectif theatre company is planned for October 2022.
Three students on the HNC Programme in Performing Arts at Norwich's The Garage visited Rouen during the 2021 This is England film festival. They wrote up their experiences here and gave an informal performance about their visit. A return visit to Norwich from Le Saffran Collectif theatre company is planned for October 2022.
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See the latest events and news from Rouen - you can flip through the pages of December's magazine - Rouen givrée |
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The latest book by Michel Bussi is an intriguing enquiry into the death of St Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince. Michel Bussi is a prolific writer of thrillers. He is a political analyst and professor of geography at the University of Rouen, where he leads a public scientific and technical research establishment in the French National Centre for Scientific Research. |
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The short film Norvölk by local animator and illustrator Graeme Wright-Davis, was selected for the 2021 This is England festival.
In this darkly comic animation, Norfolk has been re-imagined as the fictional county of Norvölk, an independent state that cut itself off from the rest of the UK after a revolution in 1987. Norvölk was created by TeeHee Creative Animation Agency, a bespoke animation studio based in Norwich. For further information contact: Graeme Wright-Davis, 07956 357464, g.davis@teehee.agency or Mandy Wright-Davis, 07941 464183, mandy@teehee.agency Watch the film trailer on: www.norvolk.co.uk / Instagram & Facebook: @norvolkthemovie |
Volunteer embroiders in Norfolk are producing an astonishing piece of needlework akin to the Bayeux Tapestry. When it is finished, the 18 metre long tapestry will hang in the king's bedchamber of Norwich's restored Castle keep. Designed by Fiona Gowen, it takes up the story of William the Conqueror's 1066 victory and his ideas for Norwich Castle. Nine of the 14 panels are complete and the work is the result of hours of painstaking stitching. Read about the detail and the volunteers here.
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This is England film film festival, 12 - 21 November 2021 in Rouen. This festival of short British films is organised by members of the Rouen-Norwich-Club. A shortlist of 49 films was shown over five days: 29 features, 11 animations and 9 documentaries. School students from the Rouen region are invited to view the selection and make their own awards.
The Director of This is England, Christophe Thierry, was this year part of the jury of the Norwich film festival. Kellen Playford, Director of the Norwich Film Festival was on the Rouen jury last year when the festival was a double bill for its tenth anniversary. |
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Michel Bussi, lecturer in geography at the University of Rouen and crime writer extraordinaire has another book out - Rien ne t'efface. You can read an extract in French here.
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Climate change - five years of the Paris agreement
On 12 December the French Embassy and the French Institute presented From COP21 to COP26: Why Failure is Not an Option, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement signed at COP21 in December 2015.
This online event featured an address by HRH the Prince of Wales and a panel discussion with distinguished guests, including Laurent Fabius, President of the French Constitutional Council and President of COP21, and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK’s International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency. The event looked back at how the COP21 was a landmark in the fight against climate change, while looking ahead to what COP26 ought to achieve. See here for a video of the day's event.
On 12 December the French Embassy and the French Institute presented From COP21 to COP26: Why Failure is Not an Option, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement signed at COP21 in December 2015.
This online event featured an address by HRH the Prince of Wales and a panel discussion with distinguished guests, including Laurent Fabius, President of the French Constitutional Council and President of COP21, and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK’s International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency. The event looked back at how the COP21 was a landmark in the fight against climate change, while looking ahead to what COP26 ought to achieve. See here for a video of the day's event.
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In Rouen, L'aître Saint-Maclou, ancient cemetery, ossuary, and School for Fine Arts, reopened to the public in July 2020 after two years of restoration work. This is a must-see for visitors to Rouen.
(The photos were taken before restoration work - click on one for a larger view) |
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Ensemble Variances is an ensemble based in Rouen and led by composer and pianist Thierry Pécou. Marion Catlin of CultureShift in Norwich is exploring the possibility of bringing them to Norfolk. See her website: www.theshiftnorwich.org.uk |
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This exhibition of cartoons showing French views of the English and English views of the French was shown in the Rouen Mairie. It was organised by Olivier Auvray. We hope to bring it to Norwich eventually but like so many things, Covid prevented it so far. |
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Epiphany January 2020 - Les Trois rois
To celebrate Epiphany in French style in Norwich, NNRFA members met in a village hall to enjoy 'traditional' home-made galettes. These are made with ground almonds, butter, eggs and sugar mixed together in a puff pastry 'pie'. In each a small 'fève' is hidden and whoever finds it is the 'king' of the table. Easy to make, there is a good French recipe here. |
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2019 - 60 years of twinning between Norwich and Rouen !
NNRFA and Rouen-Norwich-Club members were able to visit each other in this 60th anniversary year. Among other events was the This is England, 16 - 24 November in Rouen. This is England is a festival of British-made short films and organised by members of the Rouen-Norwich-Club. 2019 was the 8th festival which is well-known across France. Some ten thousand students from lycées and collèges in the region are invited to see the thirty-two short-listed films shown over a week in a Rouen cinema. You can read about the winning films here and see the programme. At the invitation of the City of Rouen, some representatives of Norwich arts organisations were invited to explore setting up links and exchanges with Norwich. Here's a blog by one of the delegation from Norwich, Carrie Mansfield of The Garage. |
Another event marked the 60th anniversary :
Photographer Stefan Ebelewicz, originally from Norwich, recently had an exhibition of his photos of Rouen and Norwich at the city hall in Rouen. Stefan has an unusual take on apparently mundane scenes. Some of his photos are in the exhibition, Norwich in '59, at the Museum of Norwich. An account of the week is here. |
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Our cities rebrand themselves!
Norwich is now the 'City of Stories' and Rouen has a new colourful image - Rouen je t'aime! |
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Following the visit of members of the Rouen-Norwich-Club to Norwich in July 2019, this article appeared in the newspaper Paris-Normandie. Nathalie Le-Gendre, Vice-President of the RNC, (seen here second from left) is keen to set up cultural links and exchanges with Norwich, and a meeting with representatives of Norwich's rich cultural scene was held during their visit at the Museum of Norwich at the invitation of Jenny Caynes, the Curator. Rouen invited representatives to Rouen during the This is England film festival.
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Rouen-Norwich-Club visit Norwich, 2019
30 members of the Rouen-Norwich-Club came to Norwich on Friday 5 July for a four-day visit. Twenty of them had not been to Norwich before. Six stayed in a hotel and the rest were hosted by NNRFA members. The programme included a visit to the twinning garden at All Saints Church Westlegate, Ranworth Broad church and conservation centre, a day to Blakeney for a seal trip and fish and chips, and opportunities to see Norwich and meet members of the NNRFA at various very convivial social events in members' gardens. Despite the late arrival of the coach from Rouen, a few managed to make the launch of Norwich in '59 exhibition at the Museum of Norwich where welcoming speeches were made by the Sheriff of Norwich (Dr Alison Prinsley) and the Director of Museums in English and in French. Four members also met the Lord Mayor on Saturday and joined him in the Lord Mayor's procession. All in all, the 60th anniversary of the Rouen-Norwich twinning has been well celebrated in both cities and there was a very real sense that this twinning will continue, with enthusiasm and ideas coming from both sides. Vive le jumelage!
30 members of the Rouen-Norwich-Club came to Norwich on Friday 5 July for a four-day visit. Twenty of them had not been to Norwich before. Six stayed in a hotel and the rest were hosted by NNRFA members. The programme included a visit to the twinning garden at All Saints Church Westlegate, Ranworth Broad church and conservation centre, a day to Blakeney for a seal trip and fish and chips, and opportunities to see Norwich and meet members of the NNRFA at various very convivial social events in members' gardens. Despite the late arrival of the coach from Rouen, a few managed to make the launch of Norwich in '59 exhibition at the Museum of Norwich where welcoming speeches were made by the Sheriff of Norwich (Dr Alison Prinsley) and the Director of Museums in English and in French. Four members also met the Lord Mayor on Saturday and joined him in the Lord Mayor's procession. All in all, the 60th anniversary of the Rouen-Norwich twinning has been well celebrated in both cities and there was a very real sense that this twinning will continue, with enthusiasm and ideas coming from both sides. Vive le jumelage!
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Norwich twinning garden
A twinning garden has been created in the churchyard of All Saints Westlegate (opposite John Lewis) in honour of Norwich's four twin cities. The sculpture was originally designed for the Federal Garden Show in Koblenz in 2011. The planting (better seen in the photos in the gallery) is around a lovely wooden larch door in a contemporary style with stained glass panels - a real asset to Norwich's public sculpture. |
Norwich on the radio in France
Here's a radio show broadcast on 3 May on French radio station, RCF: www.rouen-norwich-club.com/a-la-decouverte-des-liens-entre-norwich-et-rouen/ You can hear Martine Commessie, Christophe Thierry and Nathalie Le Gendre of the Rouen-Norwich-Club talking about Norwich, the origin of the twinning and This is England festival!
Here's a radio show broadcast on 3 May on French radio station, RCF: www.rouen-norwich-club.com/a-la-decouverte-des-liens-entre-norwich-et-rouen/ You can hear Martine Commessie, Christophe Thierry and Nathalie Le Gendre of the Rouen-Norwich-Club talking about Norwich, the origin of the twinning and This is England festival!
NNRFA Chairman, Chris Rowe, presents M. Yvon Robert, Mayor of Rouen, with an engraved glass vase by Alan Hislop, the Norwich glass engraver
Visit to Rouen, 7 - 11 June 2019
26 members took the trip to Rouen in this our 60th anniversary year. The dates were chosen to coincide with the Armada. Some members stayed with hosts and some in a hotel. On Saturday morning there was a guided tour of historical Rouen. This was appreciated by the members for whom it was their first time. After lunch a visit to the Northmaen Brewery in La Chapelle Saint-Ouen. We were greeted by the owner Dominique Camus “Leo” for a guided tour and tasting of the beers and whiskeys. Some of us purchased a special ale to bring away with us.
On Sunday there was a day excursion to Giverny village, the art gallery and Monet's garden with lunch at a family-run establishment, Les Nymphéas.
Monday: Armada Day! At 9 am we were invited to take breakfast at the City of Rouen marquee. We met the Maire, M. Yvon Robert and Bruno Bertheuil, Deputy Maire for International Relations and the Armada! We then made our way to the Lutéce – Belle de Rouen, for a trip on the Seine to see the tall sailing ships from the river. Plenty of time for those with energy to explore the ships moored alongside the quais. The day concluded with cocktails at the City of Rouen marquee. You can see photos of the reception at Rouen-Norwich-Club.
26 members took the trip to Rouen in this our 60th anniversary year. The dates were chosen to coincide with the Armada. Some members stayed with hosts and some in a hotel. On Saturday morning there was a guided tour of historical Rouen. This was appreciated by the members for whom it was their first time. After lunch a visit to the Northmaen Brewery in La Chapelle Saint-Ouen. We were greeted by the owner Dominique Camus “Leo” for a guided tour and tasting of the beers and whiskeys. Some of us purchased a special ale to bring away with us.
On Sunday there was a day excursion to Giverny village, the art gallery and Monet's garden with lunch at a family-run establishment, Les Nymphéas.
Monday: Armada Day! At 9 am we were invited to take breakfast at the City of Rouen marquee. We met the Maire, M. Yvon Robert and Bruno Bertheuil, Deputy Maire for International Relations and the Armada! We then made our way to the Lutéce – Belle de Rouen, for a trip on the Seine to see the tall sailing ships from the river. Plenty of time for those with energy to explore the ships moored alongside the quais. The day concluded with cocktails at the City of Rouen marquee. You can see photos of the reception at Rouen-Norwich-Club.
Normandy beer arrives at the City of Ale Festival
Norfolk Brewhouse's new brew, Amitié IPA, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our twinning in 2019, was launched at the Norwich City of Ale festival in 2018 with the 'twin' brewers from Normandy present. Eastern Daily Press covers the voyage of beer by boat from Rouen - see here and here.
Norfolk Brewhouse's new brew, Amitié IPA, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our twinning in 2019, was launched at the Norwich City of Ale festival in 2018 with the 'twin' brewers from Normandy present. Eastern Daily Press covers the voyage of beer by boat from Rouen - see here and here.
Chris (left) and Ann Rowe (centre) meet brewers from The Norfolk Brewhouse and the Northmaen Brewery in Normandy
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A tale of two ales
A special beer has been brewed by The Norfolk Brewhouse in collaboration with Northmaen Brewery near Rouen. The new beer is the brainchild of David Holliday of The Norfolk Brewhouse who explains: “The City of Ale Festival is always a great celebration of Norfolk breweries and Norwich pubs. The twinning with cities is also important to Norwich and I felt that creating a beer which could complement the strengths of both regions would be a fitting tribute.” Rouen is home to a craft beer pub – La Taverne de Thor which is owned by Northmaen Brewery – a farm and brewery 20 miles from Rouen. “The fact that we found not only a brewery with a city and county base was fantastic but to then learn that they grow their own barley was the icing on the cake. We are such advocates of Norfolk Maris Otter barley that to find someone who was equally proud of their malt was just fabulous.” said David. As part of the planning to ‘twin’ the two malts, Thomas Renaux and Dominique Camus of Northmaen Brewery came to Norwich to create the recipe and bring over a sample of their grain in order that a test brew can be created by The Norfolk Brewhouse. Thomas is excited and proud to be presenting a taste of France at the Festival. |