St Brieuc Twinning Tour with Aberystwyth Silver Band – Day 1

by Alan Cole · Published Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015 · Updated Monday, September 19th, 2016

Two facts to get us started:

Anna and Morgan play cornet in the Aberystwyth Silver Band.
Aberystwyth is twinned with St Brieuc in Brittany, France.

Over the years since the twinning relationship which was established in 1974, the Aberystwyth Silver Band has visited St Brieuc on a number of occasions, but a visit was long overdue. A visit had therefor been organised for last weekend. I got invited along too, so the three of us set off on Thursday afternoon to meet the coach in Aberystwyth.

Anna and I had booked some days holiday and Morgan had been granted a few days off school as this was a trip with some teachers from the Ceredigion Music Department who had asked his school if he could join them. The coach had a few issues getting to us so was a little late, but once it was there we soon loaded it up with suitcases, bags, instruments, music stands, percussion, music and one other intriguing looking box – intriguing that is to everyone else as we of course knew that it contained my bike!

Leaving Aberystwyth

Once on the coach we picked our seats and the younger boys gravitated towards the back seats. Morgan started off with us, but soon moved back with the boys!

: Back row boys

: Coach Party

The coach trip to Portsmouth was fairly uneventful with only one wrong turning, a couple of comfort stops and a couple of stops to collect other band members. Each stop was followed with what became Natalie’s obligatory register to make sure we still had everyone. We arrived in Portsmouth late in the evening with a full compliment of band members ready for a night sailing to St Malo aboard the Brittany Ferry ‘Bretagne’. We all had cabins booked. Anna, Morgan and I were sharing a cabin with Angela (poor Angela), so after a coffee and cake and some exploring of the boat we retired to our cabin as we left Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight behind us en route to France.

Bretagne

I was up early the following morning so got dressed and left the others to get ready in the cabin whilst I headed up to the cafe. The others soon joined me for breakfast as we approached the port of St Malo as the sun rose. We were soon off the boat and back on the coach for a short 1.5 hour trip to St Brieuc and our hotel – accompanied probably by some signing from Ivor and Neil!

St Malo

Day 1 – St Brieuc Twinning and outdoor Concert

We actually arrived a little early and the rooms weren’t quite ready for us, but we only had time for a quick coffee before they were ready and we were able to unpack. The hotel was really nice and the rooms were plenty big enough. Ours even had a small balcony that caught the sun perfectly. I quickly built my bike – first things first, and then we were off on what turned out to be a packed and hectic day.

Bike

Officials from the Twinning Committee met us at the hotel and we followed them on the coach through the streets of St Brieuc to a church hall where we were provided with first aperitifs, then a lovely starter, followed by a delicious main course and a pudding and then coffee and biscuits – Not a bad welcome at all!

: A blur of food

: Aperitif

: Lunch

: This looks promising

: Weclome Reception

Various people from the twinning committee said a few words, photos were taken and then it was back into the coach and back to the hotel for a quick change ready to head out to visit a music school, a music venue for modern music, for an official reception and a concert.

Band Members in Polo Shirts

We had hoped to chill in the hotel for a short while, but there was no time for that really, just enough time to get changed and then back onto the coach.

Conservatoire de musique, danse et arts

I may have got out of sync here as everything was happening at quite a pace now, but I think our first stop was back in St Brieuc at the ‘Conservatoire de musique, danse et arts’, a very high brow and impressive school of music dance and arts. The band members seemed suitably impressed by the facilities, the building, the music library, the students and the amount of money invested in the Arts here.

: Conservatoire

: Dance Studio

: Music Library

: Percussion Room

La Citrouille

Next stop was La Citrouille, a music venue and studios for modern music. Again, everyone was suitably impressed with the facilities even though this was a much smaller, not for profit venue funded on a more charitable basis.

: La Citrouille

: Younger Members

Official Reception

With the tours over and done with, it was off to the Town Hall for the official reception.

: French Flag

: Group Shot

: Outside the Town Hall

: Silver Band at the Town Hall

: Town Hall

We had a fair bit of waiting around for the various delegates from Aberystwyth and St Brieuc to get ready for their speeches, all the while being teased by some nice looking canapes dotted around the room. The younger members of the band were well and truly flagging by now and I don’t think the speeches and translations helped them particularly, but they soon perked up once the gifts were exchanged and the canapes and drinks were unleashed.

: Canapes

: Gifts

: St Brieuc Twinning Reception

: Major of Aberystwyth

We weren’t finished yet though, with the official reception over, we walked into a nearby square which had a large marquee at its centre and bars and pubs dotted around the outside. The l’Orchestre d’Harmonie were setting up under the marquee for a concert which was to be followed by the first of the concerts from the Aberystwyth Silver Band – finally, after much travelling and a very busy day the band would be able to get their instruments out and play – this was after all what they had come for.

We took our seats under the marquee and relaxed whilst enjoying the concert.

: L’Orchestre d’Harmonie

: Ready for the Concert

The Orchestra and band then swapped places so that The Aberystwyth Silver Band could play. They were all quite tired by now as was I, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and other than some slightly unwelcome interference from the local ‘Ivrognes’ all went well. Various band members had solo pieces to play and even Morgan got up and did a short solo which was quite impressive.

: Aidans Solo

: Colins Solo

: Cornets

: Morgans Solo

: Neils Solo

: Open Air Concert

Once packed up it was getting on for 11pm after what had been a very busy day to say the least, but it wasn’t over yet, we were off to the band room of l’Orchestre d’Harmonie for drinks and snacks! We did make it back to the hotel eventually though and into bed.

How’s that for a busy and packed day! Was that really only the first day of our twinning tour to St Brieuc?