As last year, a folklore group of singers and dancers from Bled came to Henley-on-Thames for the British-Slovene Society’s Annual Picnic on 7th July. Not only did they perform heartily for us at our Picnic, but the previous day they sang and danced on Henley Town Square, and when rain come down repaired to the Argyll pub to sing for patrons sporting Regatta rowing blazers. The Mayor of Henley came to greet them wearing his chain of office.
By facilitating these visits to Henley, the British-Slovene Society is helping foster friendship between the two towns, which are linked by twinning. In this, we pursue our core mission of encouraging cordial relations between Britons and Slovenes.
At the picnic, we dodged heavy showers around midday, and gazebos kept us dry. The weather then brightened up for the rest of the day, ending with glorious sunshine across Gillotts Field, where our Slovene hayrack (kozolec) has been located since 2022.
Besides the singers and dancers from Bled, some 20 hardy souls undeterred by a dicey weather forecast turned up, and stayed until early evening. Come rain or sun, the British-Slovene Picnic offers a great time for all, in particular families with young children.
Susanna, a new member of the British-Slovene Society, said: “Congratulations on a spectacular event! I enjoyed meeting everyone, and the Bled dancers were fantastic!”
Our warm thanks go to our Bled folklore friends, and to Henley Council officials and park rangers for their help.
We are also grateful to the Slovenian Government Office for Slovenians Abroad for financial support.
P.S. Henley Herald published this article: https://www.henleyherald.com/2024/07/09/british-slovene-society-hosts-bled-twinning-events/