Torun Swindon Taste » Trips

Swindon Group in Torun for June Sunshine

Chris — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:28:52 +0000

A group of around 30 visitors from Swindon enjoyed a short stay in Torun over the weekend 5th June to 9th June, the weather was warm most of the time, but there were a few showers. The Torun Marathon happened to be on and five members of the group took part in the race, including Stan Pajak and Dave King editor of the Evening Advertiser.

The hotel was good, Hotelik w Centrum just next to the Old Town – Stare Miasto. On Monday we had an official meeting with the Vice President of Torun at the beautiful Cafe Dwór Artusa at Rynek Staromiejski, there was an exchange of gifts, Torun were presented with a commemorative beer glass and a bottle of Arkells beer.

Other attractions included a visit to the Centrum Sztuki Wspólczesniej CSW, a new modern art gallery and a tour of the city with summer drizzle. See also photos from the trip.

Swindon Junior Ice Hockey Club in Torun

Chris — Tue, 22 Mar 2005 13:04:45 +0000

The biggest visit yet by Swindon people to our Polish twin city of Torun in Poland took place last week with the Swindon Junior Ice Hockey Team taking part in an ice hockey tournament in the Polish city. A coach of players, parents and interested Swindon residents made the historic trip leaving the Link Centre at 3.30am! Eventually arriving at Torun at 2.00pm at the Hotel Wodnik we were greeted by a warming meal as temperatures were just above freezing. The hotel by the Wisla river proved amazing value at £15 a day full board and served to illustrate the attractive prices still available for the British tourist in Poland.
The Swindon team competed with Torun and Warsaw from Poland and eventual winners St. Petersburg from Russia. Being both the youngest and less experienced side they fought well and won a lot of friends both on and off the ice. Parents meanwhile enjoyed the pleasures of the historic Torun including its magnificent churches, historical market place, car free shopping centre and birth place of astronomer Nicholas Copernicus – everyone meets at his famous statue. Cllr Chris Shepherd and myself met with Torun Council representatives who were very impressed and pleased with the Bloor Homes development off Thamesdown Drive which will be adopting Polish names including Torun Way. Chris playfully suggested they rename their main road after Swindon!
Although the boys appeared to be adopting the McDonald’s in Torun as their second home the adults sampled some excellent Polish cuisine in the many restaurants, cafes and bars that dot the city centre. With over 30,000 students studying at the Nicholas Copernicus university it creates a vibrant night life in the city. For the shopper the best buys in Torun are the vodka, beer, its famous Gingerbread with three shops devoted to it and amber jewellery.

The trip proved a great success and will hopefully be the first of many to come. We are now setting up an official twinning organisation – Torun And Swindon Twinning Enterprise (TASTE – a taste of Poland!).

Canoe Trip to Torun

Chris — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 13:10:40 +0000

Following an invitation from the President of Torun, and participation from Torun Councils Department of Promotion, a group of young Swindon people (Bev, Christine, Adam, Sunny, Danny, Flo and Holly) were pulled together from Summer Challenge, Headzup and the Penhill Youth Centre, in Poland they joined a larger international group (young people from Poland, Slovakia and Germany) to spend seven days camping and navigating down the River Drweca close to Torun.

When they arrived back in Torun, the group attended a reception with Torun’s President, they were interviewed by Polish national television, were presented with t-shirts and gingerbread (Toru? is famous for it’s gingerbread or pierniki) and visited the local planetarium.

Group leader Holly reported, “Our new twin town of Torun is a beautiful city and we all hope we will get the opportunity to visit it again.”

Polish Foundation meet with Swindon Mayor

Chris — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 13:28:45 +0000

A new sports initiative was agreed, during the visit of a delegation from the Polish British Foundation in Torun, who met with Mayor Derek Benfield, sports officials and Artscape in Swindon today.

Romuald Po?lednik, Grzegorz Chruszcz and Bill McAlister arrived in Swindon on the 4th March from the Polish British Foundation in Toru?, whose aims are to promote the English language and culture in Poland.

The Foundation has proposed to initiate International Challenge Day in Torun and Swindon, an international event, encouraging people across the world to take part in physical activity.

The Foundation is also organiser of a Dictation Competition during which students from the Torun region will compete in writing an English dictation, first prize for the winner willl be a visit to Swindon.

During the morning, the delegation visited the Swindon Museum to view a new exhibition of contemporary British paintings. Click here for details.

Then at the Civic Offices, there was a meeting with the Mayor of Swindon, Derek Benfield, during which the Swindon Mayor responded enthusiastically to the idea of International Challenge Day and the Dictation Competition.

Later the group met with Celia Yeoman from Artscape, and with sport officers at the Life Style Unit at the County Ground.
Swindon Councillor, Stan Pajak, who accompanied the delegation reported: “I thought our lightning visit went very well. We had a very positive reception at the Life Style unit at the County Ground and it appears the Challenge Day on the 26th will happen with support from the sport officers and the mayor.”