Angela and Brian of Bath welcome Ernő & Johanna Beér and Attila & Eva Puskás to their homes
In return for some wonderful Hungarian hospitality experienced from Ernő & Johanna Beér and Attila & Eva Puskás in Kaposvár during 2011, it was the turn of the Bath folk to reciprocate. We – Angela and Brian Campbell and Ann and Paul Croft – welcomed our respective couples into our homes for four nights in May last year.
To outline the programme – we spent the first full day in Bath visiting the Abbey and Victoria Art Gallery in the afternoon after a lunch at the Old Crown in Weston, hosted by the Bath and Kaposvár Twinning Association (BKTA). Here they were able to converse with fellow Hungarians now resident in Bath as well as with other BKTA members and friends. In the morning, they had ridden on an open top bus (in the sunshine!) to see the main sights of our beautiful city from a bird’s eye view.
Our friends were very keen to see Stonehenge the following day and we all enjoyed the time spent in learning more about this World Heritage Site and the famous monument, although the audio guide in English proved to be quite a challenge. Bradford-on-Avon became the picnic spot where mercifully after all the recent dismal weather, the sun shone for us.We took the opportunity to visit the Tithe Barn, walked alongside the river to the Saxon church and finally up to the little chapel of St Mary.There the far reaching Wiltshire landscape greeted us with splendid sun and warmth.The afternoon completed with a visit to Lacock that showed them many historical aspects of an English village.
On their final full day in Bath a visit to the Roman Baths kindly arranged by the Mayor’s office occupied the morning. Our plans for another picnic were, however, thwarted by the inclement weather that persuaded us to return home for some warming food instead. Before the reception in the Mayor’s Parlour towards the end of the afternoon, we strolled through Sydney Gardens and into the Holburne Museum. Leaving the museum by the front entrance our visitors were able to enjoy the view and walk down Great Pulteney Street and towards the Guildhall. Here they were greeted by the Mayor of Bath, Cllr. Brian Chalker and his lady Mayoress. Information about the office of Mayor as well as items on display in the Mayor’s Parlour was deftly translated by a BKTA member, Zsolt Dudas, which enabled Ernő & Johanna Beér and Attila & Eva Puskás to enjoy more vividly this unique experience.
Evening meals for our guests were provided at our homes.This allowed us together to enter into an important aspect of what twinning is all about, experiencing a snapshot of home life, conversation and the taste of good English home cooking. One traditional English picnic was also sampled, although we didn’t get quite as far as the bacon and eggs for breakfast…
At the end of their stay in Bath our friends were taken to Luton Airport. Here we bade them farewell and they made their way independently to London for a last day of sightseeing in the capital. We very much enjoyed their company and hope that they were able to learn more about us, Bath and the surrounding area. We so much enjoyed our time in Hungary the year before and their visit to Bath has given the chance to strengthen at personal level our friendship. These two visits have engendered a better understanding of Bath – Kaposvár life styles and cultures.
Angela Campbell
May 2012