BBP Newsletter August 2025: Bordeaux Metropole, Bristol JCC, Future Events, UWE Hackathon

BBP Newsletter.

Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Bristol Bordeaux Partnership (BBP)  -  the edition for our activities in August. Today we reflect on a number of initiatives to promote greater twinning between Bristol and Bordeaux. 

Bristol in  Bordeaux 

Bristol City Council's Twinning Officer, Zoe Gibbons worked in the Bordeaux Metropole Offices for 3 days in August with her counterpart, Chris de Rauville.

Whilst there she met with Valerie Bonnet from our sister organisation, the Association Bordeaux – Bristol , on a cycle tour of the city, including the Darwin Hanger, ABB's offices and the new Simone Veil bridge.

Zoe also met with General Consul, Dominique Olley at the British Consulate in Bordeaux where they talked about youth projects and city to city connections. In the background of the photo of Zoe and Dominque can be seen the Trevor Hadrell print that BBP arranged to be delivered to the Consulate last year.

Bristol Junior Chamber of Commerce visit to Bordeaux

As mentioned in previous newsletters we're very pleased to say that Connor Jones and other members of Bristol's Junior Chamber of Commerce will be visiting Bordeaux in October.

With help from Zoe Gibbons, Bristol's Twinning Officer, Chris de Rauville of Bordeaux Metropole and Valerie Bonnet or the ABB, Connor's group will be meeting at the Bordeaux City Hall (Marie) along with their sister commerce organisation whilst on Bordeaux. They should also be visiting a vineyard with the help of Chris de Rauville.

Equally exciting is the planned visit to Bordeaux in 2026 of the The Bristol Guild of Guardians, hopefully accompanied the Lord Mayor.

We'll share news of these great opportunities to develop lasting commercial links between Bristol an Bordeaux as they happen.

Twinning and the next generation

As a result of his links with UWE, our Chair Mike Healey is working with Zoe Gibbons & UWE to secure a place for BBP at a planned Hackathon later this year where attendees will discuss how to encourage and incentivise students and young professionals to get involved in twinning activities.

We'll let you know more nearer the date and, of course, we'll share any ideas that arise.

Members events - Paris visit, wine tasting and a quiz night

As mentioned in previous newsletters Gill Hood is actively pursuing a number of social events for members for the rest of 2025.

A small group of BBP members will be visiting the recently restored Notre Dame in Paris in October, with some members travelling on to Bordeaux afterwards.

Ian Abrahams will be hosting another wine tasting evening for BBP members (and friends/guests) on Friday November 28th at a cost of £25 per ticket to cover both the wine and accompanying food.

And Gill is organising a quiz night for October 30th to be hosted at the RAF Club at a cost of £5 per ticket.

Further details of both events will follow soon but if, in the meantime, you want to more about either event please contact Gill on events@bristolbordeaux.org 

If any of you have other great ideas for BBP members events, please let us know. We're always looking for more ways to promote and reward membership. 

We hope that these updates on the recent activities of BBP are of interest and may even prompt you to want to become more involved and to help us with some of these initiatives. If you want to know more, please reply to this email. We'd love to be able to spread the message re twinning in general and Bristol's links with Bordeaux in particular.

A bientôt!

On behalf of Mike Healey (Chair of BBP)   for Bristol Bordeaux Partnership

www.bristolbordeaux.org