St Albans Passio Puppets win Rhineland festival accolade

Over the bank holiday, St Albans was well represented at this year's Backfischfest in Worms, St Albans' twin town in Germany. This massive wine and beer festival on the banks of the Rhine is now in its 70th year.

Twenty young people from the Cathedral community accompanied by the Revd Stuart Cradduck and the Revd Anna Matthews, St Albans District Council Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage, Melvyn Teare and Tourism and Regeneration Officer Charles Baker, and St Albans Worms Partnership representatives led by District Councillor Janet Smith all paraded the two miles to the Festival funfair beside the Rhine river with the Passio puppets which tell the story of Alban. They were described in the local press in Worms as 'die absolute Highlights' of the procession and were, the next day, voted 'best entry'.

The friendship between the two cities is very wide-ranging and has already been cemented this year, the 50th anniversary of the twinning, by a joint concert in the Abbey Church by a German choir and the St Albans Chamber Choir as well as civic visits back and forth.

On the German side, pleasure was expressed that young people were continuing the interest in the close relationship between the cities and St Albans Mayor Kate Morris, who has long been associated with the Partnership, said 'This year's successful visits have been the culmination of many years activity. Schools, sports groups and musicians have been among regular visitors back and forth, and this new community venture is just the sort of thing we can all celebrate together.'

The Very Revd Dr Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans said, "I am delighted that the colour and vibrancy of the St Albans Festival Pilgrimage was able to be experienced by the people of our link city of Worms - and I'm even more delighted that we won! This shows how the influence of Britain's first martyr has travelled not just in the past but also today across Europe."

Further photographs