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BBP Newsletter. Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Bristol Bordeaux Partnership (BBP) - the edition for our activities in Autumn 2025. Today we reflect on a number of initiatives to promote greater twinning between Bristol and Bordeaux. |
Bristol Junior Chamber of Commerce visit to BordeauxConnor Jones and other members of Bristol's Junior Chamber of Commerce visited Bordeaux in October.
Not only did they have the opportunity to see Bordeaux but BBP also helped them, via our contacts with ABB, our sister organisation in Bordeaux, to visit a local chateau to taste the wine. We also arranged for them to eat at local restaurants owned by a friend of one of BBP's Exec team.
We were particularly excited to use our contact with Bordeaux's Marie and their Charge de Mission, Chris de Rauville, to arrange a reception for Connor and his group at the Marie and to introduce them to Charlotte Charerre from the Bordeaux Chamber. This should help to build strong ongoing links between the commercial sides of our two cities.
Equally exciting is the planned visit to Bordeaux in 2026 of the The Bristol Guild of Guardians, hopefully accompanied the Lord Mayor. |
Pre Christmas talk & wine tastingIan Abrahams will be hosting another wine tasting evening for BBP members (and friends/guests) on Friday November 28th. This year the focus will be on the wines of The Loire.
Ian is a member of the Bristol - Bordeaux Partnership who holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Diploma, a high-level professional wine qualification. He worked for more than 20 years as a Certified Wine Educator lecturing on WSET courses, also running courses for Stoke Lodge. Now mainly retired, he writes a weekly blog and runs occasional tastings for U3A and a small number of other groups.
VENUE: Bristol Commonwealth Society Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PD
DATE: Fri 28th Nov 6.30pm for 7.00pm start
COST: £25/head (to cover both the wine and the food), payable in advance through the BBP account, details and reservation from Gill Hood: info@bristolbordeaux.org
As we of course need to arrange the catering and the correct number of bottles of wine, we need to know in advance how many of you will be attending. If you wish to join us please contact Gill |
BBP Quiz - part 1Gill Hood arranged an Autumn Quiz night for BBP members & friends at the RAFA Club in Westbury.
36 people took part in a quiz where most of the questions concerned France or England in some way.
A fun night was had by all (we assume!) and we will be running another quiz in 2026. We'll let you know when.
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BBP Quiz - part 2BBP also sent a team along to a quiz night, again at the RAFA Club in Westbury. This quiz was arranged by one of our members, Susan Longman, and was organised to raise funds for the local St Peter's Hospice.
We had a fun evening and didn't disgrace ourselves - coming equal 2nd on the night |
Members events - Paris and Bordeaux visitWe’d hoped to see a good sized party of our members head out to Paris and Bordeaux this autumn, but events conspired against us. Those of us who could in the event go, however, were well looked after by our friends at the Association Bordeaux Bristol.
First, we visited Notre Dame Paris. For anyone else planning to visit this magnificently restored cathedral, a quick factual report: there is no charge, no need to book. The entry queue took us just 20 minutes, and we had the benefit of hearing the words and music of the noon weekday mass. Visitors were able to walk quietly around the side aisles and the ring of outer chapels, respecting worshippers in the central nave. Superb acoustic, clean limestone, brilliant paintwork, and a harmony of restored and newly crafted stained glass.
Also in Paris, Patricia took us to the museum of Jean-Jacques Henner: well worth a visit to the 17th arrondissement to focus on a single French painter, without the crowds and excitement of the Louvre!
Then on to Bordeaux by TGV - just over 2 hours from Gare Montparnasse - arriving in bright October sunshine. A most welcome lunch at the Association, generous hospitality from Patricia and Pierre Vallee in the Chartrons part of town, a visit to the sea and sands of the Arcachon basin and the late flight home on Sunday evening. Thank you to everyone who made this unusual trip so special. |
BBP's Annual General MeetingAdvanced notice that the BBP AGM will be held on Tuesday January 20th 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 2025 and contemplating more twinning activities in 2026.
We will also be joined by both the Lord Mayor and by a guest speaker - further details, including the name of the guest speaker will follow shortly.
All will be welcome as we look back on 2025 and look forward to 2026. |
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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 |