Category Archives: Odenwald

It felt good to be back behind our tombola bottle stall and helping on the entrance gates at the 150th Airth Games after a gap of three years.  We raised some much-needed funds, and met up with friends old and new, including lots of German visitors.  We even got our picture in the Falkirk Herald.Continue reading “What we did in July”

For the second year in a row, the Odenwald Association hosted an online Burns supper, together with our friends from the Schottland Vereinigung.  With a mixture of song, dance, poems, and chat, presented by Charlie Tibbles, the life and works of Burns were celebrated in style. The online show was broadcast on 25 January. YouContinue reading “Online Burns supper”

After the success of the Odenwald Association’s last two virtual concerts, the Open Evening and the Burns Supper, we are organising another one, this time to coincide with the Falkirk Tryst Festival.   Entitled “Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome”, the event will take place on Tuesday 27th July 2021 at 7pm. This is a joint venture withContinue reading “Virtual concert – save the date!”

The first meeting of the new session of the Odenwald Association always takes the form of an Open Evening, when we invite everyone interested in twinning and/or the Odenwald to come along, and we hope to gain some new members.  This year, 2020, we decided to hold it online as there were still restrictions inContinue reading “Virtual open evening”

The Odenwald Association was very pleased to welcome Mrs. Barbara Quick, the German Consul for Scotland and the North of England, to the group’s meeting on Tuesday, 10th March. Mrs. Quick, who took over the post in July 2019, gave us a very interesting talk about her career to date, and the work of theContinue reading “German Consul visits Association”

The Schottland Vereinigung celebration of Robert Burns took place in the Alte Turnhalle, Beerfelden on February 1, 2020. About 150 people attended and the evening was opened by the Clan Pipers Frankfurt, joined by Neil Clark (Falkirk) and Lothar Eckmayer (Bad König). Rüdiger Holschuh welcomed everyone and the very heavy haggis was brought in byContinue reading “Burns Night in Beerfelden”

Minutes from previous meetings of the Odenwald Association are published below. If you have any queries, please contact the Association. Minute of Meeting of Odenwald Association held on 12th November, 2019 at 7.00 p.m. in Municipal Buildings, Falkirk Present: Gray Allan (Chair), Walter Simms (Vice-Chair), Anne Simms (Secretary), Charlie Tibbles (Treasurer), Andy and Myra Christie,Continue reading “Archive: Odenwald minutes”

Alison Strauss, Arts Development Officer (Film and Media) and Director of HippFest came along in November 2019 to talk to the Odenwald Association about the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (HippFest), Scotland’s only silent film festival. The festival takes place mainly in the Hippodrome in Bo’ness, Scotland’s first purpose-built cinema, originally designed by Bo’ness architect MatthewContinue reading “HippFest presentation”

Members of the Odenwald Association were pleased to be able to repay some of the hospitality extended by the SLV and Odenwaldkreis to us in August with a Civic Reception in the Council Chambers hosted by Provost Buchanan, and attended by councillors, OA members and Detlef Kuhn of the SLV. The 50 year-long twinning linkContinue reading “Odenwald visitors / civic reception”

On August 7, 2019, a 94-strong party consisting of Odenwald Association members, Jenkins School of Highland Dancing, Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir, local bands, The Tonkerers, Glenbervie Folk Duo, and Lads wi’ Gear, and assorted parents and friends, travelled by coach, car, plane and ferry to the Odenwald in Germany. The reason for the trip wasContinue reading “Schottische Nacht in Odenwald”

The Odenwald Association (OA) hosted a bottle stall at the Airth Highland Games on Saturday, July 27, 2019. Unfortunately, after a week of record temperatures, it rained solidly all day. This didn’t stop the stall being as busy as usual and, though the takings were down a bit on previous years, we made £205 forContinue reading “Association at Airth Games”

Two German students, Saskia and Anne, arrived in Falkirk on June 16, 2019, to spend four weeks doing work experience with Falkirk Libraries, and at Callendar House’s ‘Gladiators’ exhibition, with a few days at the Stadium too.  Odenwald Association members took them around in their free time, showing them Inverary and places en route, Culross,Continue reading “German students visit Falkirk”

The Odenwald Association was very pleased to welcome the award-winning Spielmannszug FF flute and percussion orchestra from Fränkisch-Crumbach to Falkirk in May 2019.   As well as the fabulous concert they gave in Falkirk Trinity Church, they visited Edinburgh, Doune, Loch Lomond, and Stirling, were shown round Falkirk by Chair Gray Allan and Fiona Aird,Continue reading “Gallery: Spielmannszug FF visit Falkirk”

On Saturday May 25th 2019, the Odenwald Association held a fundraising concert in Grangemouth Town Hall.  This was planned as an opportunity for a dress-rehearsal before going to Schottische Nacht in Erbach, a chance for friends and family to see the performance, as well as to raise some money to cover the costs of theContinue reading “Gallery: Town Hall concert”

At the Odenwald Association’s AGM on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, Walter Simms stepped down as Chair but agreed to stay on the committee as Vice-Chair.  Gray Allan was elected as our new Chair.  Charlie Tibbles and Anne Simms agreed to stay on as Treasurer and Secretary respectively.  Gray presented Walter with a gift of beerContinue reading “Odenwald Association AGM”

The Odenwald Association invited Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir along to its March meeting. The choir sang three lovely songs and the littlest member recited a humorous Scots poem. The choir has been going strong since 1961, and members have won several awards over the years. The choir will be hoping to win some more atContinue reading “Falkirk Gaelic Choir visit”

The Odenwald Association’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at 7 p.m. in the Committee Suite, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk, FK1 5RS, when we will have a performance from the Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir. There will be the usual refreshments and a fundraising raffle (donations of prizes welcome).

The speakers at the Odenwald Association meeting on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, were Association members Kathryn Grainger and Neil Clark. Invited to the Falkland Islands to provide live music and meet up with Neil’s pupils there who are learning to play bagpipes online, the trip proved to be an uplifting and moving experience, well worth theContinue reading “Presentation on Falklands”

The Odenwald Association will host its next meeting on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Committee Suite, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk, FK1 5RS. Two of our members, Neil Clark and Kathryn Grainger, will be talking about their trip to the Falkland Islands. There will be the usual refreshments and a fundraising raffle (donationsContinue reading “Group to meet on November 13”

The first meeting of the new session of the Odenwald Association will be an Open Evening in Room A, the Committee Suite, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk, FK1 5RS. It will be held on Wednesday, October 10, 2018, at 7 p.m. Please note change of day – the room was not available for the Tuesday. There willContinue reading “Open evening – October 10”