NNRFA - Past events

Norwich visits Rouen, 2023. The Armada tall ships festival was in town too.

2025

Pétanque, Wednesday 25 June

We met at the terrain of the Norwich Petanque Club at The Cottage, 148 Thunder Lane, Thorpe St Andrew, NR7 0JD. Members of the NNKFA (Norfolk and Norwich Koblenz Friendship Association) joined us. It was very informal, with help from club members. Boules were provided, though many members brought their own

Some stayed for lunch afterwards at The Cottage, prolonging the social contact. A great time was had by all!

Rouen Twinning Summer garden party, 29 June

You couldn't miss where it was happening! The flags and bunting clearly marked the spot.

The gifts from our most recent trip were on display, and a glass of delicious Normandy Pommeau* welcomed each guest.
*A local speciality, made with apple juice and apple brandy

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet up again with fellow travellers to Rouen in May and exchange memories, news and views.

2024

Rouen group visit to Norwich, 5–9 July 2024

The group arrived the day after the British General Election, so they found some NNRFA members rather bleary from campaigning and staying up for the results!

Thanks to NNRFA members (and their friends), we were able to accommodate all that wanted to be with hosts, and others stayed in hotels. The “Goody Bags” given to our visitors included suitable maps, instructions and directions for the stays, plus gifts from local companies: tickets for free scone & coffee etc. from Jarrolds, small samples of Booja Booja chocolates for all, contributions from Norfolk Museums.

Day 1, Saturday 6 July: the day was spent in Norwich. The group split into two, taking turns to visit the Bridewell, Museum of Norwich and St John's Roman Catholic Cathedral – especially for the view over Norwich from the Cathedral Tower. Norfolk Museums Service gave free entry to all and included an excellent tour of the Undercrofts. There was also ample time for shopping and getting lunch, and to take advantage of the free scone & coffee (or tea) in Jarrolds!

For the evening people made their own arrangements for meals etc with many in the hotels being hosted in NNRFA members’ homes.

Photo: Yolande Heredia

Day 2, Sunday 7th July was the trip to Sheringham & Felbrigg Hall, with lunch at The Dales in between.

We arrived just before 10 in Sheringham with a chance to see the trains, the shops, the sea and the Morris Dancing. The variety of different Morris Dancing was quite an eye-opener for the French, and to many of the English as well. The organisers had been a great help, always keeping us up to date with the Sunday programme, and their map was adapted by us to give to our visitors.

So that was a success and so was the lunch at The Dales Hotel in Upper Sheringham. Everyone was pleased with the place, the food, and the staff.

Then it was back to the coach and off to Felbrigg Hall to an excellent reception by the NT Felbrigg Hall staff. Most visited the hall and also the walled garden, and some just relaxed in the stable café and certainly the NT shop.

Later on, the results of the French election were cheered loudly around Norwich!

Day 3, Monday 8th July: the chance of a lie-in, and independent strolls through the City. There were arranged tours in The Guildhall, and later, an invitation to go into City Hall for a Reception with the Lord Mayor. Just before 3.00pm we met on the City Hall steps for a photo. After tea, coffee and cakes in the City Hall, we went into the Council Chamber for a speech of welcome from the Lord Mayor, Cllr Viv Thomas, a member of NNRFA. She then invited us, in groups, to visit the Lord Mayor’s Parlour

Meanwhile, Prof. Trevor Davies and the artist, Gennadiy Ivanov (one of our hosts), explained the “Climate Mural for Our Times” in the Council Chamber. The mural and associated paintings were opened at the City Hall on 25 November 2022, in the 50th Anniversary Year of the founding of the Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich. It was an art-science collaboration between Gennadiy, Norwich City Council, the Climatic Research Unit UEA, the Transitions Art-Science Project, and Global Water Futures – Art and science to help inform decisions about all our futures. It was amazing!

Then we were off to the Garden Party in Sprowston, with parking in a field opposite, and a bus from the City Centre to The Brickmakers close by. It was great to see a large group of our Rouen visitors coming up School Lane having taken the bus and the route from The Brickmakers. Bob and Margaret were thoughtful and generous hosts, and the food contributed by the Norwich hosts was superb!

The very early departure the next morning may not have been welcome to all!

Cringleford Junior Football Club tournament, August 2024

Forty young footballers and their coaches visited Norwich for an international 5-a-side football tournament* hosted by Cringleford Junior Football Club at Easton College. The city of Rouen generously financed the four teams and their coaches who came to Norwich. The Rouen visitors were given free entry to visit Norwich Castle during their visit. NNRFA volunteers helped out with the visit.
*Link accessible if you have a Twitter/X account.

The Norfolk & Norwich Rouen Friendship Association (NNRFA) played an important role in helping to establish links with Rouen Town Hall, who have been fantastic, encouraging teams to come, funding them for transport, accommodation, passports and much more. And Norwich Town Hall put up £1,280 to cover some of the CJFC costs they had to take on in relation to the Rouen teams – brilliant. NNRFA members were present every day and met the young people and their coaches on Rouen Road (where else?) on Monday 5th, to take them to see the Castle (Norfolk offered us free entry!) then to City Hall to meet the Lord Mayor. It’s a real example of city twinning in action.

We wrote to all at Rouen City Hall and received the letter shown below from Amélie, who leads on International relations at Rouen City Hall.

Dear Bert, Thank you very much for this message. I am very happy to know that this sporting weekend went perfectly and that it was able to lead to the discovery of Norwich, the sharing of sport and the experience of these encounters which enrich our life's journey. I warmly thank you, as well as all the members of the NNRFA for this invitation and your precious involvement in this exchange and in the partnership between Rouen and Norwich, it is thanks to this that 65 years later, it is still active and dynamic. We are happy at the City to have been able to support this project and ensure that these 4 teams of young players can participate in the Challenge.

We can only hope that these experiences will multiply to strengthen our bonds of friendship!! With my kindest regards, Amélie

Out and about in Norfolk

We arranged 2 outings during the year, one in brilliant blue-sky weather, one in rather more cloudy and rainy surroundings, but both were well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

A sunny walk at Reedham

In September 2024, the band of travellers ventured along the riverside and through the back lanes around Reedham and its chain ferry, lunching outdoors with a view of the swing bridge plus the comings and goings of boats and trains.

The winter walk at Ashwellthorpe Woods

A very different day, but equally enjoyable!

In February 2025, we took advantage of a guided walk through Ashwellthorpe Wood, learning about the management of the woodland, its history and its wildlife. Many participants were impressed and will return later in the year to see the flowers and butterflies. It’s well worth a visit. This time lunch was indoors in a friendly pub, with a few of us venturing on a very muddy walk on the footpaths around Wreningham afterwards.

It is hoped to organise another such day out in September.

Marion Catlin writes:

"It was great to welcome our French friends, from our twin city of Rouen to Norwich Puppet Theatre this week. They are on the train home now but they were really inspired by the wealth of culture and community organisations we have in Norwich and the way that many work together. Sadly, we couldn't get around everywhere, as there are so many places but it was a good start and the door is well and truly open between the two cities. This is not a short term impact but something we are building, taking opportunities wherever we find them. Bon voyage, smiley French friends and have a restful weekend – we worked you hard this week."

"We also took our French visitors to The Common Lot HQ and to their allotment, the Common Plot. Kevin-Emeric Théry, who runs a theatre company called La Youle, said that the description of Common Lot could be the same as his company and that they are twins in the way they work. Let's hope that can work together in the future."

(Photos: Marion Catlin)

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