The weather was fitting and the mood was bright; the excitement was palpable and the atmosphere electric as Fermanagh performers went on stage at the Spring Festival in Brackwede in Germany.
The ambience in the marquee was described as 'fantastic'..'absolutely brilliant'...
'unforgettable'.
In essence, the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the twinning partnership between Enniskillen and Brackwede were nothing short of an outstanding success, as a spokesperson for the group explained.
"The Festival Marquee on the Church Square in Brackwede was packed to capacity every evening, with audiences of over 750 who eagerly awaited representations of both Irish and German cultures on stage. There were deafening rounds of applause and many 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' as our Fermanagh performers won the hearts of their German audience.
"Long queues formed as guests sampled local cuisine, browsed through Fermanagh holiday brochures and chatted incessantly to each other. Another chapter in the history of the twinning was being written."
The Chairman of Fermanagh District Council Councillor Alex Baird said the full breadth and depth of Irish/British culture was promoted in Brackwede.
"It was evident that the performers, together with Council representatives enjoyed their role as true ambassadors for the County"
An official booklet was compiled by Brackwede Council to mark the 50th anniversary of the partnership. People from Fermanagh who have made a significant contribution to twinning over the years were presented with special certificates to mark the occasion.
Councillor Baird, together with the Lord Mayor of Bielefeld, Herr Eberhard David, and the Mayor of Brackwede, Herr Siegfried Kienitz, signed an official Golden Partnership Charter to commemorate the history of partnership, which is the oldest in Europe..
However, it wasn't 'all work and no play'. The guests and performers from Fermanagh were mostly accommodated in host families and this enabled them to experience, first-hand German culture and hospitality. Guests from Fermanagh had some free time and the opportunity to see some of the local area.
Fermanagh guests were welcomed by Lord Mayor Eberhard David at an official reception in Bielefeld .Townhall Sightseeing trips and visits to local businesses were also arranged by the German hosts.
