Forthcoming

14–21 May 2025, Language Course in Epping

This is an informal course in English language and British culture for our visitors from Eppingen. Teaching sessions are during the weekday mornings only – the rest of the time is devoted to excursions and social events, including a farewell meal. Epping association members are welcome to join in with these activities – it’s a great opportunity to see old friends from Germany, or make new ones.

This is the programme for the week’s ‘extracurricular’ activities.

• Thursday May 15, afternoon: Globe Theatre, to include standing places to view part of ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller
• Thursday May 15, evening: Drinks at a local pub
• Friday May 16, afternoon: Museum of the Garden, Lambeth
• Saturday May 17: Free time with hosts
• Sunday May 18: Full day visit to Colchester by car. 
• Monday May 19, afternoon: Young V&A Museum, Bethnal Green
• Tuesday May 20, afternoon: William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow
• Tuesday May 20, evening: Farewell meal at a local pub

Epping members: All of the above events (except the Thursday evening drinks) must be booked in advance. Full details, including prices, locations, timings, travel and contact details, are in the email circulated to the UK membership on 6 May. If you would like to participate in any of the above, please contact the relevant organiser by Friday 9 May.

8 June 2025 (Sunday afternoon), Kaffee und Kuchen

This is our annual coffee-and-cake afternoon, in the German tradition, with home-made cakes and pastries. Open to members and their guests. There is a small charge. Prior booking is required so we know the number for catering and seating purposes. Further details nearer the time.

23 June 2025 (Monday), Committee Meeting

6 July 2025 (Sunday), Epping Town Show

The twinning association will have a stand here, as always. Let’s hope for better weather this year!

26–27 July 2025, Eppingen Altstadtfest (Old Town Festival)

This weekend event takes place every other year in Eppingen, and is attended by twinners from Eppingen’s other partnerships in France and Hungary as well as members of the Epping association. There are musical performances and a host of other events and activities. There are also many food outlets, including stands with traditional culinary offerings from all three twin towns. Visitors from Epping help run the UK stand, and members of our association who attend this event always find it very enjoyable. If you would like to go, please contact the coordinator, Lis Goodwin.

www.eppingen-tourismus.de/event/25-eppinger-altstadtfest

26–29 September 2025, long weekend visit to Eppingen

Further details to follow.

22 November 2025 (Saturday evening), Annual General Meeting and social event

Details will be circulated in due course.

Recent events

8–11 May 2025, visit from Sinsheim Rotarians

Eppingen does not have its own Rotary Club; the nearest one is in nearby Sinsheim. The Sinsheim Rotarians have their own twinning arrangement with Epping Rotary Club and Epping Forest Rotary Club. Further details can be found in our Links page.

The above visit celebrated the 35th anniversary of this initiative. The highlight was a dinner and entertainment on the evening of Saturday 10 May at Down Hall Hotel near Bishop’s Stortford. An invitation to this event was extended to the Epping-Eppingen Association, and four of our members attended.

1 May 2025 (Thursday, from 12 noon), Stammtisch – pub get-together

There was another good turnout for this Stammtisch event, attended by people who had been members of the association for over 40 years, less than four weeks, and everything in between. It was a good chance to catch up generally, and on this occasion also to discuss plans for the forthcoming language course in Epping. The next Stammtisch will be an early evening event – the date is yet to be confirmed, so watch this space and check your emails!

29 April 2025 (Tuesday) Committee Meeting

27 March 2025 (Thursday, from 12 noon), Stammtisch – pub get-together

This was our second Stammtisch of the year, and there was a good turnout as usual. Another new member was able to join us on this occasion – in fact these events are proving an excellent way of introducing new people to the Epping association in a convivial setting.

26 March 2025 (Wednesday evening), International Zoom Meeting

This was our regular Zoom catch up between members in Epping and Eppingen. It attracted 17 people, including a new member on the Epping side.

5 March 2025 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

27 February 2025 (Thursday lunchtime), Stammtisch – pub get-together

Our first Stammtisch of the year was our largest so far. There were 19 of us, including two new members. Everyone enjoyed catching up with friends old and new, and looking forward to our planned activities for the year.

 1 February 2025 (Saturday), Quiz Night and Fish & Chips

Over 70 people – members of the association, their guests and other people from the local community – attended this event at Theydon Bois Village Hall near Epping. There were nine tables, each with a team of around eight people. A well-timed delivery of fish & chips during the interval provided a welcome break from all the brainwork. There was also a raffle, the proceeds of which helped swell the association’s coffers. The event was ably organised and presented by Lis and David Goodwin, so our thanks to them and everyone else who helped make this another successful and enjoyable occasion.

29 January 2025 (Wednesday), 7 pm UK time, International Zoom Meeting

Fifteen or so members from Epping and Eppingen met online to catch up on the news and talk about forthcoming activities.

8 January 2025 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

30 December 2024 (Monday lunchtime), Stammtisch – pub get-together

We thought it would be nice to have a Stammtisch during the quiet period between Christmas and New Year. Fifteen members met at the Bull in Theydon Bois for a festive get-together.

6–9 December 2024 (Friday to Monday), Christmas Tree Festival

St John’s Church in Epping organises a Christmas Tree Festival in early December each year. It includes musical performances, Christmas items for sale, and refreshments. Many local organisations participate, each decorating their own tree – the twinning association’s tree had its usual German theme. This year it was decorated by Barbara Lane and Joy Eldridge, using home-made gingerbread men, wooden German decorations, and other items made by Elisabeth Palm in Eppingen. It also featured a traditional German Christmas poem with an English translation.

27 November 2024 (Wednesday) 7 pm UK time, International Zoom Meeting

This was the pre-Christmas online get together between twinners from Epping and Eppingen.

23 November 2024 (Saturday), Annual General Meeting and Social Event

This took place in the United Reformed Church hall in Epping. Following the routine AGM business, there was a social event for members and guests. This consisted of a hot supper provided by the usual stalwart volunteers, followed by short talks by four of our long-standing members.

Nigel Ericson, David Hart, founder member Chris Harriss, and our president Humphrey Wheeler all gave entertaining and informative accounts of their experiences in the early years of the association and the relationships that were forged during this period. These were illustrated with a photo montage of key events.

Barbara Lane, who has stood down after 25 years as the association’s secretary, received a presentation and vote of thanks in recognition of her service in this role.

10 November 2024 (Sunday), Remembrance Day

In keeping with the annual tradition, the Epping-Eppingen Association was one of a number of local organisations to lay a wreath at Epping’s War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday.

24 October 2024 (Thursday) lunchtime, Stammtisch – pub get-together

This increasingly popular event was attended by 18 members, the largest number so far. This one took place at the Bull in Theydon Bois. Most people had lunch at the pub, but a few came just for a drink and a chat. It is always a good opportunity for members of the association – old and new – to catch up with news and to get to know one another better.

16 October 2024 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

27–30 September 2024, visit to Epping by members of the Eppingen association

Click here for a full description of this visit with photos.

4 September 2024 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

29 August 2024 (Thursday), 6 pm, Stammtisch

Thirteen members of the Epping association attended our monthly pub get-together.

24 July 2024 (Wednesday), 12 noon, Stammtisch

Eleven of us attended this event, including a new member of the association. These lunchtime and evening get-togethers are proving to be a good way for members to keep in touch over a drink and a bite to eat, in between our main local and international activities.

7 July 2024 (Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm), Epping Town Show

As usual, the Epping twinners had one of the many stands round the arena at this year’s Town Show. There were a few logistical problems on this occasion – not least, strong wind and heavy rain. So we’d like to thank all the helpers who braved the elements to make this another successful event in spite of the challenges. The prize competition, this time featuring a map of Germany, had 20 participants. And importantly, a number of visitors were interested in the twinning – including a couple from the USA who are researching their family roots in southern Germany, and a local person who joined us for our next Stammtisch. We look forward to better weather this time next year!

3 July 2024 (Wednesday) at 7 pm UK time, International Zoom Meeting

This was the regular online meeting between members of the Epping and Eppingen associations.

27 June 2024, early evening, Stammtisch

This was the second get-together in a local pub, and it gave the dozen or so members who attended an opportunity to catch up with one another over a meal and a drink. Those who had been on the recent language course in Eppingen shared their very positive impressions of this event, and we looked forward to the next activity in Epping which is the Town Show. Future Stammtisch events will alternate between lunchtime and evening, to suit the differing needs of members.

19 June 2024 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

4–11 June 2024, Language Course in Eppingen

This was a German language course held in Eppingen for members of the Epping association. For more details and photos, click here.

19 May 2024, ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’

Around 25 people attended our Coffee and Cakes event on a beautiful Sunday afternoon outside ‘Julie’s Cafe’ in Stonards Hill Recreation ground. This is a favourite occasion in the Epping association’s calendar, and it offers members and friends an opportunity to catch up with one another and meet new people in a relaxed atmosphere. A big thankyou to the organisers, including members of the association who supplied home-made cakes and pastries. A good time was had by all.

2 May 2024, International Zoom Meeting

This was the regular online meeting between members of the Epping and Eppingen associations.

26 April 2024, Epping Community Award

The Epping Twinning Association was honoured to be presented with the town’s Community Award for 2024 at the mayor’s Civic Reception held on 26 April. This award is presented annually to a voluntary organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to the local community. Humphrey Wheeler, Barbara Scruton and Barbara Lane were invited to attend and to receive the award on behalf of the association.

At the same event, our current chairperson Barbara Scruton was made a Freeman of Epping, in recognition of her many years of service to the town.

For more details and photos, click here.

19 April 2024, ‘Stammtisch’

This was our first informal get-together in a local pub. Ten members of the Epping association met for convivial conversation and a bite of lunch at The Bull in Theydon Bois, near Epping. The event was very successful, and we plan to hold more of them on a regular basis. The time and venue may vary to suit members’ wishes – details will appear here and be circulated by email. You don’t need to order food – you can just come for a drink. But either way, you need to book your place with the organiser each time, since the venue will need to know the number for seating purposes.

20 March 2024 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

29 February 2024, International Zoom Meeting

Members in Epping and Eppingen made good use of their four-yearly bonus day by attending a joint Zoom meeting.

3 February 2024, Quiz Night with Fish & Chips

This event was held at Theydon Bois village hall rather than in Epping itself, and was attended by about 80 people from the association and the local community. There was a break from all the brainwork in the form of a delicious fish & chip supper supplied by a local chippy. The winning team were presented with prizes, and there was a raffle which raised a record sum for association funds. With thanks to everyone who helped organise this event and to compile and present the quiz.

10 January 2024 (Wednesday), Committee Meeting

2023 events