BBP Newsletter: January - Welcome to 2025, Membership Renewal.

BBP Newsletter.

Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Bristol Bordeaux Partnership (BBP)  - the first for 2025. Today we reflect on 2024 and start to plan some further  twinning events for 2025.

BBP AGM

The BBP AGM will be held on Thursday February 13th at City Hall, starting at 18.00.

As well as the formal AGM standing agenda items, such as the financial and membership reports, we will be reviewing a busy 2024 and contemplating more twinning activities in 2025.

We will also be joined by both the Lord Mayor and by our guest speaker, Sally Daniels from the Faculty of Environment, Technology and Architecture at University of West of England (UWE).

All will be welcome as we look back on 2024 and look forward to 2025. Light refreshments will be provided.

BBP annual membership renewals

As it's the new year it's also the time to renew your annual BBP membership - £15 per member, £20 per couple (£10 if students or if over 60). Or if your not yet a member and wish to join BBP, you would of course be very welcome !

 If BBP's account details aren't already saved in your banking App, the easiest way to renew your membership is to go to Bristol Bordeaux.org  then chose the membership renewal option and follow the steps. Anyone encountering a problem please contact Gill Hood on gannahd1@outlook.com.

Mini Assistants - student visitors from Bordeaux

January sees the arrival of seven teaching students from Bordeaux University.. Pictured are last year's student visitors.

Working with Zoe Gibbons, the International Twinning Officer at City Hall, BBP has arranged for these students to spend two weeks participating in voluntary activities in Bristol primary schools, helping local children to learn more French.

BBP picked them up from the airport and bus station at the weekend and took them to the seven fantastic hosts connected with each school. Their school working started this Monday - exciting times.

We will tell you more about how the placements went in next month's newsletter.

Visiting Bordeaux?

If you're planning on visiting Bordeaux this year - or any other part of France, or the EU for that matter - 2025 is the year when tourist advance travel notice may finally come into force - similar to the ESTA many of you will have applied for on line when visiting the USA.

Whilst much delayed, and with still no confirmed date, it's worth saving this link and checking prior to your proposed journey. ETIAS - European Union 

The impact of climate change on the wines of Bordeaux

A recent article by the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust (WSET) highlighted the impact climate change is having on the vineyards and wine makers of Bordeaux, and how those growers are adapting, including the consideration of new grape varieties.

We thought that this would of interest to you all, especially those of you who joined us for the wine tasting evening, those of you who joined us in Bordeaux for the Fete le Vin last June and those who will be in Bordeaux this coming June.

The WSET article can be read Here.

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!

Mike Healey (Chair of BBP)  and Mark Atherton (Secretary)  for Bristol Bordeaux Partnership

www.bristolbordeaux.org