St Albans and Warsaw Soroptimists Cultural Exchange
The St Albans & District Soroptimists visited their fellow Soroptimists in Warsaw for a cultural exchange weekend in June. The visit coincided with the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth, and a highlight of the weekend was going to an al fresco Chopin concert in Royal Lazienski Park. The members who went would thoroughly recommend anyone to go on a sightseeing trip to Warsaw “it’s a really lovely city with so much to see, and everyone made us feel so welcome” said Jean Eaton one of the Soroptimists who lives in Redbourn. The trip was organised by Wanda Bristow, a member who created and manages the friendship link with Soroptimists in Warsaw. Wanda was from Warsaw originally, she is a qualified interpretor for the Polish language, and has lived in St Albans for more than 25 years.
Sally Bear (the club’s well travelled mascot) is pictured here listening to the Chopin concert in front of the Frederic Chopin Monument in the Royal Lazienski Park in Warsaw. Chopin virtuoso concerts are performed every Sunday to the public (for free!) in the park in the summer months. Sally Bear is a St Albans and District “Fund for the Future” bear – the bear was bought in 2001 in support of the Fund for the Future which continues to provide grants to charities and voluntary groups in the area.
Warsaw club members visited the UK last year – scroll down to the bottom of our page of Friendship Links to see the fun we had then: www.soroptimist-gbi.org/st-albans-and-district/club-friendship-links