At a recent Oakham Castle event, the Oakham and District Twinning Association welcomed over 60 guests at an event to revive the almost 40-year-old partnership between Oakham and Barmstedt.

Located in Rutland and north of Hamburg, the two towns have been twinned since 1987 but membership had dwindled with changing times. Now, with much renewed enthusiasm, the association looks forward to a bright future. 

At the event, Cllr Adam Lowe, Mayor of Oakham, explained how much he and his wife Julie had enjoyed their experiences of twinning and expressed his hopes that this evening would signal a new phase in the relationship between the two towns.

Dr Sarah Furness, His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, followed by emphasising the importance of twinning and the many benefits which it can bring to both sides, while thanking the Barmstedt representatives for their support. Dr Furness then introduced the Mayor of Barmstedt, Frau Heike Döpke, who had travelled to Oakham for the first time.

Frau Döpke spoke of the pleasure she took in visiting Oakham and of her keenness that the twinning should develop from here. The final speech was made by Frau Susanne Schmidt, Chair of the Barmstedt Twinning Association, who spoke warmly about her town and the reasons why she is so passionate about twinning. 

Dr Furness handed over Oakham's present to Barmstedt of a framed photograph of Oakham High Street from c.1935 and an Oakham Town Council shield. In return Barmstedt gave Oakham a beautiful framed copy of the original twinning charter from 1987. The photograph shows Dr Furness, Cllr Lowe and Frau Döpke at the exchange of gifts.

Newspaper articles and photographs were on display in the castle and proved fascinating for the guests as they discovered more about the history of the relationship. A slideshow showing photographs of Oakham, Barmstedt and past twinning weekends ran throughout the evening. 

The association now plans to hold a meeting to which all the interested parties from the recent event, together with those who were unable to be present, will be invited, as the group comes together to discuss the way forward for the association. Anyone else who wishes to register their interest should contact Cllr Lowe at [email protected] or on 07801 541389. 

The association is delighted that the efforts to revive the twinning have received such staunch local support. There will be much to look forward to this year with the possibility of a visit by a Barmstedt group in July, followed by invitations to Germany in September and for the Barmstedt Christmas market.