New Year Get Together

Twenty old friends and new greeted 2018 very tastefully at the British Cheese Centre in the Zurich Viaduct Markthalle. The tastefulness was of  course cheesy,  with old friends like Cheddar, Red Leicester and Stilton, alongside Hebridean Blue and Caerphilly. Some new friends were also found for the English champagne now hailing from Kent, not to mention cider and […]

Christmas Lunch

Twenty five of us braved the snow to get to the Hotel Forclaz-Touring in Martigny for our Christmas celebrations. The wine flowed freely and the level of convivial conversation rose accordingly as we all greeted old friends and welcomed new members.   Our BRA Christmas Lunch was delicious. Deborah did us all proud.  She “decked the […]

Visit to Two Photographic Exhibitions

Part of the Biennale della fotografia in Bruzzella and Chiasso. Beverly Ortelli organized an excellent visit to Bruzzella, where we were taken round the private photographic exhibition, works collected by Rosella Rolla and her husband, ‘American Dream’. Rosella then accompanied us down to Chiasso to see ‘Life in the Cities’ and the work of an […]

Christmas Lunch

The Central Region held its Christmas get-together in Neuchatel at the Hotel du Peyrou. This beautiful 18th century building was a fitting scene for a memorable lunch, attended by 27 members. Some participants who arrived by train from other parts of Switzerland – Berne, Lausanne, Fribourg and even Zurich – were kindly met at the […]

Zurich Toy Museum

BRA members visited the small Toy Museum in Zurich, to be taken through a couple of centuries of childhood… “Oh it’s got an upstairs loo !” And indeed, the large dolls’ house gave us a full view of all the fixtures and fittings of a late 19th century house. That fine model, and all the […]

Ticino Autumn Lunch

The later than usual Ticino Autumn Lunch was held at the Osteria Gallo d’Oro on Saturday 4 November and was much enjoyed by all the 18 who attended. The conversation was lively and the lunch was excellent. We were lucky that the first rain we have had for months held off until the early evening. […]

Visit to the Magic Valley of Lötschental

In late October a group of just over thirty members (including the BRA Chairman, the Vice Chairman and a couple of guests) from several regions of the BRA travelled to the magic valley of Lötschental at the invitation of Jenny and David Love. Our hosts had for a number of years lived in Ettingen BL, […]

Concert

As the opening notes of the Diamond Jubilee rang through the magnificent Victoria Hall in Geneva, we knew we were in for a special evening. This was no town hall ‘oompa’ brass band, this was the Geneva Arquebuse Brass Band under the expert direction of Jean Pierre Chevailler. The atmosphere in the hall warmed and […]

Vistit to Giornico

11 members visited the small delightful village of Giornico in the Valle Leventina, where the there is the most important romanesque church of Ticino, San Nicolao, built in the early 12th century. The weather was at its very best for enjoying the autumn colours and walking over the very old stone bridge and through the […]