Thursday 1st May

At 7:30pm the Bergstadt-Musikanten arrived at our band room in Dereham for another visit.  After months of planning on both sides this was a chance for us to catch up with our old friends and make new ones.  The next two days were to be as hectic as all the other visits were with so much to do in such a short time.  So after a short period of meeting and greeting the visitors were paired off with their hosts and transported around the local area for the night.

Friday 2nd May  

The day started for us all at 8:45am back at the band room where we all boarded the bus for Horning to meet the Southern Comfort paddle steamer and a two hour cruise up the broads.  After lunch on the river bank we left for the Forum in Norwich where the Bergstadt-Musikanten entertained the afternoon shoppers with a short outdoor concert.  This was then followed by a tour of the Origins exhibition.  Suitably enlightened on the history and evolution of Norfolk and East Anglia we left the city for Dereham at 5:30pm.

Saturday 4th May

A more gentle start with a visit to the Gressenhall Rural life Museum at 10:00am.  This lasted for two hours and then we were transported back to Dereham for some free time.  At 3:00pm we met for a rehearsal and to prepare the Memorial Hall for the evening concert.

In the evening both bands gave a concert to a sell out audience in the Memorial Hall, this included the traditional speeches and exchange of gifts.  A short party followed after the concert where certain members of each band practiced there singing techniques and we all understood why they took up playing instruments !!

Sunday 5th May