BBP Newsletter. June 2025: Education, Education, Education.

BBP Newsletter.

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

Bristol University students teaching experiences in Bordeaux 

June saw 6 students from Bristol University's Languages faculty off to Bordeaux for 2 weeks  - pictured..

Working closely with Chloe Laborde from Bristol University and with Marie France Burgain and Sandrine Cambeilh from Bordeaux University, and Valerie Bonnet from ABB, our sister twinning organisation in Bordeaux, BBP arranged once again for  6 language students to volunteer in 3 Bordeaux schools for 2 weeks.

Chloe is gathering feedback but from early replies it sound like they had a great time in Bordeaux and no doubt also enhanced their French language skills un peu .

BBP invited to meet French politicians

At the invitation of Stephanie Demont, Language Director for French, University of Bristol  BBP were invited to take part in a Forum at the University  to discuss the teaching of French and, for us more relevantly, the exchange of students between the countries. 

There were many fascinating discussions. The final session was on the promotion of and encouragement of exchanges between UK and France and we were joined by colleagues from Bordeaux and by representatives of the Department for Education.

This latter session was a bit frustrating as many attendees explained the current challenges post Brexit re visas. The Department of Education representatives said that were aware of and looking into the challenges, but it didn't feel as though an imminent solution was envisaged. Fingers crossed however.

Bordeaux Fete le Vin 2025

Happy memories  - and longings - for those of us who were at the annual Fete le Vin in Bordeaux last year, as June saw the 2025 event take place. Maybe some of us will be there in 2026 !

And the Mayor of Bordeaux Pierre Hurmic was there to formally open the event (see picture). 

Members events

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

More news will follow as and when dates and logistics are confirmed but Gill is working on arranging film nights, a quiz night, a wine tasting evening and a visit to Paris and Bordeaux.

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. 

Barrs Court Primary school talk re twinning 

Jessica Williams, a teacher at Barrs Court Primary School, asked BBP if we could repeat the talk from 2 years ago re twinning in general and Bordeaux in particular for their students. Of course we said yes.

Mark Atherton gave an interactive talk to 3 classes  - and they asked a lot of great questions and, hopefully, learnt a bit about Bordeaux . Maybe one day they'll visit Bordeaux and remember what we talked with them about.

If any other schools would be interested in the same talk, please just ask.

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