Marianne Wilhelm has kindly provided us with a news report and some pictures from Biberach:
Dear friends,
Here is some news from Biberach: Due to high Covid figures, the Christkindlesmarkt was finally cancelled on the 23rd of November, 4 days before the beginning of the market. The stalls had already been put up the week before and some sellers had started to decorate, as we had. But we were lucky, as we were offered a stall on the Wochenmarkt, the food and flower market, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from the 1st to the 11th of December. Christmas markets such as the Ulm Weihnachtsmarkt were abolished in Baden-Württemberg as of last Saturday, December 4th, whereas the weekly markets can continue.
People here in Biberach are happy that products from the twin towns are on sale again this year. There hasn’t been an opportunity to do so since the Christkindlesmarkt two years ago, so there are always beaming faces when we are discovered. Our range of English goods is not very big this year, but we offer basics like various orange marmalades, lemon curd, fudge, shortbread and English tea. Last week a customer came along with a bag, bought 4 jars of orange marmalade plus 5 jars of orange marmalade with whisky, beamed all over his face and said we had saved his Christmas. The orange marmalade with whisky was the first to be sold out. Sales are also going very well otherwise. There are always customers in front of the stall. In addition to English goods, there are products from Georgia and Valence. Bernard from Valence, despite his more than 80 years and Corona, did not miss the chance to get behind the wheel of his packed van and come to Biberach.
Our friends from Asti and Schweidnitz (Swidnica) have refrained from visiting Biberach this year due to the high Corona numbers, unfortunately. But we hope for next spring, the Musikfrühling on 7 May. We are looking forward to celebrating with our friends from the twinning towns the 30th anniversary of the partnership with the Tendring District and the 40th anniversary with Asti in the evening after the market in the morning.
