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| Bridgwater-Czech/Slovak Twinning 1992 |
At Bridgwater International we are now planning our programme for 2012. Would you like to be part of it? If so now is the time to contact us to see how we can help.
Bridgwater International has been operating International link programmes since 1992 when Bridgwater became the first British town to twin with a Czech/Slovak town (Uherske Hradiste) after the Velvet Revolution. It is because of this history that we have the experience and contacts to devise and develop programmes for all sorts of groups and individuals from School residentials to Sporting tours, Musical projects, Civic contacts and Community link ups.
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| The original Bridgwater Czech/Slovak friendship Society website |
Originally we were the BRIDGWATER CZECH SLOVAK FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY but our contacts have expanded from the Czech & Slovak Republics to include a swathe of European partner towns ranging through Italy and the former Yugoslavia up to Poland and Lithuania.
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| Somerset students in the Czech Capital Prague |
Bridgwater International is particularly useful for hard-pressed school teachers organising School trips as we can take the organisational detail out of your hands and devise , cost and run entire programmes for you plus provide native speaking guides and even direct you to funding sources.
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| Rhode Lane Wanderers in UH |
Bridgwater International also specialises in Football tours- which are very popular and therefore easy to organise. In recent years we have taken Somerset football teams to 10 countries at all different levels from schoolboy to sunday league.
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| Voice of the People sing in Wenceslaus square |
We have also encouraged Cultural link ups, such as the Choir exchanges between the Bridgwater Arts Centres 'Voice of the People' choir and the Prague based Labyrint choir, or the ever popular Rock Tours which have seen annual trips by Somerset rock musicians playing to enthusiastic and welcoming audiences from Prague to Krakow to Bratislava, whilst bringing Czech musicians to the UK such as the swingtime Backside Big Band or the Vlcnovjan cimbal band.
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| Czech students visit Wells on their Round Britain tour |
Particularly popular are the ' Residentials' that we organise. This allows groups to explore the country of their choice with a select theme. For Czech visitors to the UK we employ the YHA network of Youth Hostels which are located in some of the most scenic parts of the country . Especially popular are our 'Round Britain' tours which we undertake by minibus with local drivers/guides.
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| Shropshire youth workers in Moravia |
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| Moravian Family Centre workers in Bridgwater |
Bridgwater international is happy to seek out any potential partner group to suit your own interests. 'Community Links' are of particular value for understanding how other towns get things done. In recent years we have taken Youth Workers from Shropshire to Moravia and Moravian Family centre workers to Sedgemoor, Trades Unionists to Prague, Botanists to Somerset and we once even organised a wedding in the Czech capital!
If you are thinking of organising some International travel during 2012 then why not get in touch with us and have a chat about how we can help you??
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| Want us to help you see how the other half live on the other side of o ur shared continent?? |
Brian Smedley
bridgwaterinternational@gmail.com
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| www.vernonbartlett.co.uk |
Bridgwaters historical links with Czechoslovakia go back to the famous By-election of 1938. We are also committed to spreading public awareness of this -hence there is a town Council sponsored website www.vernonbartlett.co.uk and we are also willing to run seminars on the subject.
