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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 12, 2012 12:40:20 GMT
Just seen that Rustington is being judged on Sunday 29th July and Bristol is on Tuesday 31st July.....
RF
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Post by Missredhead on Jul 12, 2012 18:59:17 GMT
When will the final results be posted?
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 12, 2012 19:01:59 GMT
As far as I know the final decision is in Venlo, Holland on the 14th September on the Floriade Expo...long time to wait...
We are told very roughly after the tour whether we have a chance for a medal but that is about all I think...will be able to say more after Saturday....
RF
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Post by Missredhead on Jul 12, 2012 19:03:35 GMT
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you then....
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 12, 2012 19:05:23 GMT
Thanks.....I do hope we have a good chance - we have all worked so hard and Doetlingen is a lovely village..
RF
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 13, 2012 5:02:46 GMT
You've all worked so hard and the weather has been against you all Rf. I hope you do well tomorrow and the weather stays dry.
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 13, 2012 6:10:42 GMT
Thanks LG - well things in the last 24 hours have changed incredibly...
The reason that I was to make a speech about senior citizens and a housing concept was that there was a big debate in the village that got a little loud and as I come from another village I was considered neutral.
The offending 5 meter high placard and info container have been removed so there is no need for me to do my speech.
Also as the weather is going to be more than a little lousy the village fete afterwards is now in hotel instead of it being a street party.... Who knows what other surprises are in store for us today - we have a last meeting tonight before tomorrow.
RF
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Post by carolann on Jul 13, 2012 9:26:33 GMT
Good luck for tomorrow RF my  for all the hard work you and everyone else has done for the village, just wish the weather could be kind to you all. |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 13, 2012 10:34:37 GMT
Thanks Carolann - it will be macs, rain jackets and umbrellas tomorrow...bet the Jury have webbed feet after travelling all over Europe this summer...can't have been much fun for them in the rain all the time..
RF
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Post by Mowhay on Jul 13, 2012 13:40:58 GMT
Good luck RF hope it goes well
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Post by Tig on Jul 13, 2012 13:57:11 GMT
Bet it's a relief not to have to do your speech RF ... you must be their lucky mascot  Hope it isn't too wet  x Tig |
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Post by Jasmine on Jul 13, 2012 15:08:59 GMT
Hope it goes well RF - you can relax a bit more now if you don't have to do any public speaking!
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 13, 2012 18:13:25 GMT
Thanks all - just back from the meeting and last preparations....
Wow - we are prepared for the rain, wind and new ice age...I think!! I have a badge with my name....cooo I'm important !! Camera men are sorted and worrying what to do if the rain is too bad..
OH is following the route in the car, probably ready to bail us out of flooded streams - or the nearest pub if all else fails...
Clothes have been ironed, brolli in my handbag which now weighs a ton, paperwork - last minute talks with the other translator and we are meeting the Jury at 11am (de) - we even get to have lunch with them...not sure whether that is a good or bad thing...!!!! Some of their names are unpronounceable !!
Someone has fallen ill and I have been given a new speech...however I think you will see that it is a lovely one, funny and actually not one that I translated which makes it even nicer for me....it's about the Farmshop in the village....thanks to Herbert for writing it...
I have posted it as I have printed it out for myself tomorrow...
RF
++++++++++++
Holding court in the Farmshop
The door opens and a bell rings...
To the left organic vegetables, wine and pasta, cereals and canned food to the right.
Chocolate in the rear. A lot of chocolate.
Next, milk & yoghurt, cheese at the counter, sausages in a glass jar, Sauerkraut from the bucket.
Fresh bread from behind the counter, magazines and lottery tickets.
Household items in the room next door, wrapping paper, pens and – a post office!
If ever I feel like writing a postcard or sending a care-parcel to a however far away friend: everything I need is right at place.
Readily available, even faster than through the internet.... and comes along with a fresh cup of coffee. If the only table is vacant. Because here is where they hold court: the ladies of the village shop!
No, not Elke Krebs and her team who keep this jewel of a shop alive and running. It's mostly occupied by the "Schnabbel-Liesen", discussing the latest village gossip, polishing it and if necessary, loading it with importance... editorial work so to speak.
You find them everywhere in the world. They are important. And even more important: they always know where the true centre of a village is.
At least from 6 am till 6 pm.
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Post by Jasmine on Jul 13, 2012 18:17:23 GMT
How true! We don't have a village shop and Etchingham up the road keeps trying different ways of running one but it ends up closing down. Bring back the village shop!
Good luck with the speech RF.
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Post by Missredhead on Jul 13, 2012 19:22:03 GMT
Good Luck RF....Love the speech...
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 14, 2012 6:23:52 GMT
Thanks... I am just off to pack our extra clothes, put some war paint on, check that I have all my notes....
Phew - I am getting nervous....especially after hearing the weather forecast..however some kind soul (the major newspaper in the region) has given us a present of 15 Umbrellas!! Wonder if it should be a boat....the river is very near!!
RF
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 14, 2012 7:22:40 GMT
Fingers crossed all goes well for you today Rf.
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Post by Tig on Jul 14, 2012 11:31:44 GMT
Wonder how it's going? Sending positive vibes  x Tig |
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Post by Barbara on Jul 14, 2012 18:35:56 GMT
I can't wait for you to come and tell us how it all went.
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Post by Babyswan on Jul 14, 2012 19:59:07 GMT
I can't wait for you to come and tell us how it all went. yeah, the TENSION of waiting!!!!! |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 15, 2012 7:46:21 GMT
Well I'm back and I've loads to tell you all....millions (slightly exaggerated perhaps but by not much) of photos were taken - photographers everywhere... The other translator and I gave an interview so we will end up in the regional paper...other newspapers were there as well... cameras were clicking all the time!!
It rained and boy did it rain.... we still got around 90 minutes when it didn't rain, but still wasn't really dry, and at the end we got monsoon rain....the Jury said that after two days of non stop rain in Holland they didn't care anymore but they hardly had more clothes to wear as they couldn't get them dry!!!
It was a long day and we didn't get home until 1am....off to get coffee and toast and will tell you all later..
Just to say that the feedback from the Jury was very very positive and one said to me - "See you in Venlo for the prize giving"!!!!!!
RF
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Post by carolann on Jul 15, 2012 7:54:17 GMT
Sounds like an exciting day RF its a shame the weather didnt play fair with you though but it seem we are all in the same boat so to speak, look forward to hearing all the news later.
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Post by Auricula on Jul 15, 2012 9:51:08 GMT
Sounds promising RF
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 15, 2012 12:10:16 GMT
Well we arrived dry but my OH was more than a little irritated as the Sat Nav wouldn’t work and then on the radio it said that there was a sun storm and mobiles and Sat Nav’s would be affected. As my OH can get lost in a village shop we both weren’t happy….. It turned out that as I was walking with the Jury to the first station (the rain started as exactly the same time as we did) a search party was sent out to look for my OH - he had been missed and was found going around in circles because the SatNav wasn't working.....!!! After that an eye was kept on him and he was also told exactly how to get to the next station although the Sat Nav was working again!! I have been given one of the umbrellas that the Jury also got…gorgeous – pictures of all nearby attractions.. I am sure that these brollies are in 95% of all the photos that were taken.  4 people where I live have seen it up to now and all want one...hard luck, it's mine, all mine!!!!! The Jury arrived early so thank heavens we were there and what a lovely bunch of people…well most!! They are all Landscape architects, gardeners, journalist/tourism, agricultural and horticultural engineers etc etc... So meet the Jury - 12 countries but France is out of it this year and Germany can't vote for it's own country although they were present.....so really we had 10 people. This was our Jury..  Austria  Belgium  Croatia  Czech Republic  Hungary  Ireland  Italy  Holland  Slovenia  United Kingdom. What a great bunch - as soon as David Littlewood heard me speaking he asked me where I was from and when I said Sheffield he laughed and said that although he now lived in Brighton he was from Huddersfield...we were glued together for most of the day after that!! He has given me his mail addy and he is sending me the pics that he took!! Eamonn de Stafort from Ireland is a wonderful man - bet he was a real charmer in his day - not bad even now, I can tell you - wonderful Irish charm.. Gave me a little shamrock brooch and said.."all the luck in the world, lovely girl". See, I said he was a charmer or is it that the colour of his hair is the same as mine and we are both in our dotage!!! The rest were lovely too, the Italian bloke was a bit weird but after we learnt that he owned TV stations, 5 magazines and was a millionaire we decided that we could cope with the fact that he was odd!! My work in the English brochure was highly praised and also the layout which I felt was marvellous and the person responsible was chuffed!! At one point (one that didn't need the brollies) I realised that we were 15 minutes too late and the Jury stop you dead after 4 hours.. I looked for the blokes that were timing us and they were worried and after talking to them we decided to get onto the tractor and wagon at the next opportunity and miss out two stations - that was Plan B. Plan C came into being an hour later when we saw that we were 5 minutes over and in the end we were 3 minutes over the time and the Jury allowed us that - probably because it was terribly heavy rain and even with brollies we were getting wet through. A music band played a great song...really got people swaying in the rain....all disabled people!! After it was all over the Jury had 90mins time for "deliberations" and we were given something to eat and a well deserved glass of champagne, later beer. After 90 minutes, 5 people went into the Jury and were told that there was no criticism at all, one or two suggestions and they are always welcome and that even thought the weather hadn't been good they had enjoyed the day. The leader said that she would love to live there...dunno if it was just said or she meant it but it was nice of her. At 7pm OH and I went to a hotel and I got changed into dry clothes - well, dry socks and shoes and a clean pair of trousers...there seemed to be duck poo on my shoes and the bottom of my trousers didn't look too good!!! We had a wonderful evening and finally got something warm to eat and then a lovely evening chatting to the Doetlinger and the Jury and drinking lovely cold beer, - there were a couple of small speeches from the Jury leader and from our side - some lovely guitar music from two young people...a wonderful evening... I was also given a little surprise, although everything was done on a voluntary basis a member of the organisation is sending OH and I to a weeks holiday at his holiday home on the Baltic Sea.....what a thank you... I really didn't expect something like that..... Olaf also says that I can choose a rose from his selection....how lovely... I will get pics of all the stations and speakers etc as soon as they have been sorted which will probably take a little time and I will try and show you what a wonderful little village Doetlingen is - even if it did rain. Btw - today is wonderful weather, blue skies, sun, some clouds - ideal...shame but it can't be changed.! RF |
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Post by Tig on Jul 15, 2012 15:17:33 GMT
It all sounds positive RF, as you say they could just have been polite, but I hope the village does well. I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves and it will be a lovely treat to have a 'free' holiday and a 'free' rose x Tig |
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Post by Jasmine on Jul 15, 2012 15:57:18 GMT
You sound like you had a smashing day RF. How exciting to be involved in something like that.
I loved the tale of your day....I like the brolly too but seeing as you're being so possessive about it....... ;D
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Post by carolann on Jul 15, 2012 17:08:31 GMT
Sounds like a wonderful day was had by all, didnt realise you where being timed  and such a shame you had to miss something due to it, love the brolly and enjoy your holiday when you take it you deserve it after all the hard work and its not your village either ;D I look forward to seeing the pic's. |
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Post by Barbara on Jul 16, 2012 7:43:52 GMT
I can't wait to see the pictures RF, , what a shame this summer has been such a washout.  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 16, 2012 7:55:59 GMT
I haven't got any private pics yet - we had one of our own photographers taking videos and pics as well as all the press but this pic was in the paper this morning. I will have a look to see if I can find any other pics from the papers... They had just arrived...  RF |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 16, 2012 8:05:12 GMT
Thanks for letting us all know how it went Rf. That brolly is smashing, I'm always loosing brollys but I'd be holding on tight to that one. How very generous to be offered the free holiday and a Rose from Olaf. Great that all your hard work will be rewarded. When do the results come in?
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Hope it isn't too wet 
and such a shame you had to miss something due to it, love the brolly and enjoy your holiday when you take it you deserve it after all the hard work and its not your village either ;D I look forward to seeing the pic's.