VISITS TO OUR CHAUMONT- CHAMPAGNE FRIENDS
After an incredible 20 years of formal twinning with our German friends in Frankenberg Lions, culminating in our recent International £30,000+ project in Kerala, S W India to celebrate the twenty years it was a wonderful surprise to receive a request to consider a link with another Club in addition, this time from the Champagne region of France. All agreed this opportunity would be additional to, and in no way a replacement, of our long-standing friendship with Frankenberg.
Accordingly our Past President, Keith Harris, discussed the opportunity with Henry Luppi, the Secretary of the Chaumont Champagne Club, and this culminated with 21 Farnham Lions and Partners making the trip to Chaumont to meet over a weekend with the Chaumont Club.
We were treated to wonderful hospitality with a relaxed and interesting social programme, which naturally included some great meals and local wine, with of course many conversations covering all aspects on Lions work in both our local communities.
We left Chaumont Lions feeling as though we had new friends, and returned the invitation for them to visit Farnham and progress our relationship. We were delighted that took us up on that invitation and came to Farnham in March 2016. We very much looked forward to sharing more time with our new friends, and certainly enjoyed showing them our town.
Our thanks to our new friends in Chaumont that gave us a fabulous weekend in the glorious sunshine in Chaumont. The pictures further down this page after the most recent ones do not do the weekend justice - but give just a taste of the great time had by all, and likewise below these are the pictures of the return visit to Farnham.
Before looking at those - simply take a view of a few of the pictures from The Grand Pardon in Chaumont on our most recent visit in June 2018.
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and our earlier visit in 20915.....
 On route to Chaumont, a stop in Reims. |
 Now that's a barrel of wine.... |
 The Pommery vintage cellar makes our membership look even younger! |
 And so to Chaumont.... |
 Simon our President with our civic host and Henry Luppi from Chaumont Lions. |
 Now thats a Viaduct |
 Chaumont |
 The Viaduct is huge.... |
 Fantastic rooflines.... |
 Pink lamp posts.... |
 and blue ones...... |
 and even yellow and we can match every colour |
 36 degrees and the tour is warming up.... |
 thanks fully now to the Brasserie de Vauclair, the local micro brewery |
 So thats how its made |
 and bottled..... |
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but where do we drink it..... |
 OK, I'll show you all - the Presidents direction |
 Lovely - but I don't feel any different? |
 Not a bad drop that. |
 A walk after lunch.... |
 Too hot for too far.... |
 The reception at le Marie. |
 Benoit & Sandrine - some of our hosts |
 The Steam Machine.... |
 The Town Hall in Chaumont |
 We always knew really........ |
Great day out - thanks Chaumont |
 Monsieur Henry Luppi - thanks to you Henry. |
 Some things are the same.........SpecSavers French style |
The Return Visit - 13th March 2016.
Our twinning officer, Jim Lawson, arranged a highly successful weekend in and around Farnham with items of great relevance to our French visitors. They enjoyed the hospitality of our homes, visits to Farnborough Abbey where the bodies of Napoleon 111 and his wife Eugenie are laid to rest, Farnham Castle, a tour of Farnham, and a sandwich lunch at The Nelson to name but a few. A superb dinner at Andersons restaurant and Cafe Piccolo were also very enjoyable.
We really enjoyed hosting our new friends and hope that we will all meet again soon.
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