Mini Friendship Exchange with Sweden 2024 - The Return

Exchange visit between District 2400 in Sweden and District 1070 in the UK

Following our exchange in June of this year with Rotary Clubs in Scania, Southern Sweden, we were delighted to renew some previous friendships and to welcome our ten visitors to Leicestershire. They came from seven clubs scattered across southern Sweden in D2395

The host clubs for the first part of the exchange were the Market Harborough and Blaby Rotary Clubs.

Thursday 12th September

After welcoming our visitors at the railway station we stopped off at Louisa’s Place in the centre of town for coffee and other refreshments.

A short walk up Adam and Eve Street to the Symington’s building and the museum so that our visitors could learn about the history of the town and its surrounding area. This included trying on re-created Roman helmets.

From there we walked past the Old Grammar School to St Dionysius Church whose spire dominates the town skyline. Our guests learned about the history of the church, its role during the Civil War and back to the time that it was first built.

We then went down to the Foxton Locks Inn where we had lunch followed by a walk around the locks, museum and Inclined Plane. Despite the gloomy weather forecast it remained dry and, at times, sunny.

That evening our guests dined with various hosts at home. In Blaby and Market Harborough.

Friday 13th September

That morning, we travelled to Leicester and the Richard III visitor centre. Many of our guests had been advised to watch “The Lost King” film before they came which gave them an insight into the history and discovery of King Richard III’s remains in Leicester, after being lost for over 500 years. After lunch at the White Boar Café in the centre we made the short walk to Leicester cathedral where we were all treated to a tour by the Project Director of the Cathedral refurbishment and restoration programme including visiting Richard III’s tomb.

Next was a tour of the neighbouring Guildhall which gave a further insight into the history of Leicester. The main hall was preparing for a wedding ceremony.

A farewell dinner was held at the Waterfront Restaurant in Market Harborough with twenty six Rotarians. Our guests made presentations about their projects and activities as we had done when we were visiting them back in June.

Saturday 14th September

An exciting morning was had hosted by the Blaby Rotary Club at the Rutland Sailing Club on the south shore of Rutland Water. There we engaged with Sailability, reputed to be the largest sailability centre in the UK and probably in Europe with several para-Olympians among its membership.

Our impressive guide Phyllis has been the driving force behind the project over 20 years changing the sceptical nature of the sailing club towards disabled sailors to its whole-hearted support.
With some of our guests coming from the Karlskrona naval port in Sweden they were particularly interested in going out on the jetty and examining the hoists that can lift people out of their wheelchairs and straight into their boats.

The sailability project there, supported by Blaby Rotary Club, raises £20,000 per annum for its maintenance and activities. There were hundreds of sailing craft at the centre. As mid-day approached we travelled to the village of Rockingham Castle at the Sondes Arms for the handover to our Northampton colleagues who continued with their part of the exchange until Monday, 16th.

The hosts for this part of the exchange were the Rotary Club of Northampton West.

North and West Northamptonshire Councils had organised a ‘Heritage Weekend’ with a number of organisations across the county, which offered us other opportunities for visits to some historic sites.

We therefore welcomed the opportunity offered by the Trustees of Lamport Hall of a weekend opening of the estate’s gardens and the café situated in the former stables. The house was closed, but the guests were able walk around it and to appreciate the classic Georgian architecture. This was followed by a visit to All Saints Church/cathedral in Brixworth. Its is the oldest surviving Saxon church in England, having started as a religious foundation in the 7th Century. An abbey was established in the early years of the 8th Century and the earliest part of the church building incorporates a large number of Roman tiles/bricks thought to have been part of a large villa located nearby. As this was a Heritage Weekend we were able to avail ourselves of a guided tour of the building and its surrounding grounds. The church is the surviving part of a vast monastic structure and is the seat of the Suffragan Bishop of Brixworth.

Saturday the 14th culminated in dinners hosted by two of the members of Northampton West Rotary Club at their homes.

Sunday 15th September

our guests were offered the choice of either visiting the Silverstone Museum, or Sulgrave Manor, the ancestral home of the Washington family. The farmhouse owned by Lawrence Washington, who was Mayor of Northampton and Lord Mayor of London, was fully restored in 1912 in celebration of 100 years of peace between the United States and the United Kingdom. Theodor Roosvelt, the then US President, considered this to be foundation of the ‘Special Relationship’ between the two countries.

Lunch was taken by all of the guests and hosts at Cannons Ashby, a National Trust property. The house and grounds were open, giving our visitors the opportunity of seeing around an historic building that spans several centuries.

Those guests staying close to Althorp were taken to the Brington Church, which houses the mausoleum of the Spencer family. The wife of a member of Northampton West gave a short talk about the possible internment of Diana, Princess of Wales in the church.

Finally, we were able to arrange a dinner for members and guests at the club’s usual meeting facility at the Brampton Heath Golf Centre, giving an opportunity to our visitors to make presentations about their clubs and location in Scania. The meal was arranged in accordance with a request by one of the visitors as being ‘traditionally’ English. It was therefore roast beef, with Yorkshire Pudding, followed by Eton Mess.

Monday 16th September

Some of our guests were set to take flights back to Sweden, whilst others had arranged to stay on with their hosts for day or so. Those staying in Harlestone had breakfast at the Northampton Golf Club, located in the village where we were joined by a member of Blaby RC and her partner. Two of our guests were staying overnight with them before flying back from Birmingham airport on the next day and our other were driven to Stansted in order to catch their afternoon flight. Another guest had to travel to Manchester and our President’s guests stayed on for a further day. In all cases the guests caught their relevant connections making it a fitting end to an enjoyable experience and a satisfactory RFE.

Ian Clarkson and Allan Wilson D1070 RFE