Hi all,

After a longish absence from the forum (sorry 'bout that), and since there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive list of things in Hannover here, I thought I'd try to get that started.

First and foremost, our parish started offering English-language Communion services once a month using Anglican (Episcopal) liturgy. We recently moved them to the first Saturday of the month at 6 pm, so this coming Saturday's a service at our place (Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode, in the parish hall of the Old Catholics). Anyone who's interested is welcome to attend and participate regardless of denomination. More about that here:

http://www.alt-katholisch-hannover.de/anglican.php

Additionally, there are several other English-language groups that meet once or twice a month. The two that have a fair number of native speakers are:

Hannover4EnglishSpeakers (commonly called "Whitney's group")
meets on third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm
at Henry's Griddle, across from the Hannover Opera
This group is mostly native speakers from the UK, USA and elsewhere; usually 10-20 people attending

SpeakEasy
meets on last Monday of each month at 7:30 pm
at the Bayrische Botschaft (also called "Paulaner") on Thielenplatz
This group has some native speakers and is much larger than Whitney's, but is mostly non-native speakers; usually 20-40 people attending

There is a list -- somewhat out of date and no longer actively maintained -- of many such groups on this page:

http://www.stud.fh-hannover.de/~kurtzt/Eng...n_Hannover.html

If you're looking for English food, there is an import store in Lister Meile 38 called Britannia, just north of the Pavilion. Your homesickness will come at a price, though...other than that, the Feinschmeckerparadies food store in the basement of the Kaufhof at the train station also has some imported foods from the USA and UK.

If anyone knows of other groups, stores or meetings, please post them here -- I'd like to know about them myself. ;-)

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Thanks, I was looking for Hannover4EnglishSpeakers, I´d forgotten the name.

I´m not new to Hannover (been here 10 years, before that in Stuttgart), but am relatively new to TT (August 2006) and meet-ups, etc.,

I´ll probably go to the next meet-up in Henry´s.

Hi willum,

I've been in Hannover for almost 8 years myself, over 13 years in Germany altogether. I've officially been on TT a bit longer, technically, but haven't posted much...more of a lurker type.

FWIW I usually go to Whitney's group, though I missed the last meeting (too much to do and too little time to do it). The group's a nice one, though -- fairly even mix of Americans, Brits and Something Else.

I also often go to the Anglophiles group (see the list of groups linked above), though I'm usually (but not always) the only native speaker there.

Aaaand since I'm the poor idiot who organizes the Anglican services, obviously I'm there as well.

Maybe we'll run into each other at one or the other group. If you happen to see a skinny American wearing a baseball cap, more than likely that's me.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi Fairfax,

I´ve been to Speakeasy once, in the Paulaner. But a friend (Bulli here) was in Henry´s at the end of last year and found it quite good. The next meet - up is I believe Tuesday the 20th, I´ll almost certainly check it out. I´m the somewhat overweight english guy in his early 40s Maybe see you there.

Hi all,

FWIW the next Anglican service in Hannover is today, March 3rd, at 6 pm, at Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode (next door to the Jakobikirche and across from the former fire department).

We'll be staying together afterwards for a chat and some tea (English tea! I promise!), so if you want to meet up, it's not a half-bad place to do it. We don't bite! Honest!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

You´re not one of these strange cults then?

Tea with the vicar? I know all about that, having lived in rural England. There were always chocolate digestives. My problem was not having a choice - I had to go to church, and that put me off.

Don´t worry though, I won´t stone you next time at H4ES

Tea with the vicar? Hey, our priest's actually a great guy.

An example exchange between the two of us:

Him: (some joke at my expense)
Me: What, you trying to give me a heart attack so you can conduct my funeral?
Him: Yup. And the funeral will be in German. According to Old Catholic rites.
Me: What?! I'll climb back out of the grave if you do!
Him: That's the idea. This is what's called "Resurrection".

Naturally we now know you're in Hannover and plan on driving by to compel you to attend. The Anglican-Old Catholic Jihad* has your address. Please be sure to be dressed properly, we hate it when people attend in boxer shorts and bathrobes.

Ve haff vays of makink you go to church!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

PS: OK, OK, then H4ES it is, then.

* - Not to be confused with the Unitarian Jihad. They are, of course, splittists and heretics.

Splitter!

Well, I had heard that the scientologists were coming to Hannover...

Oh, and I don´t wear boxer shorts - so you lot are probably in for a shock! I´d bring your exorcism kit with you as well, just in case ... urrrgharrrgh...oh no not again...!

What! That weirdo cult has nothing to do with our weirdo cult!


What? I could have sworn I saw you wearing boxer shorts on your head that night at the pub!

As for an exorcism kit, I suggested the following model to our priest:

[img]http://www.solarnavigator.net/sport/sport_images/baseball_baum_bat_drawing.jpg[/img]

but when the priest suggested testing it out on me, I reconsidered and proposed this model:

[img]http://www.american-allergy-supply.com/history/pillow-zipper.jpg[/img]

No word yet on whether my proposal has been approved.


Are you trying to sound like Arnie?!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

I just remembered an additional English-language thing in Hannover:

Every Saturday at 10 am at Escape Books (Oberstraße 8, near the Christuskirche in Nordstadt), there is a children's reading hour with games and a small snack as well.

This coming Saturday, the 10th of March, I am the victim, errrr, reader for the day, so if you want to come and point and laugh and hear me completely butcher an attempt at an Irish accent in honor of St. Patrick's Day, please go away.

The aforementioned Escape Books is a small English bookshop that also buys and sells used books (about a third of their collection is used). They mostly have novels and children's books, with some videos and DVDs thrown in as well. They also have an English book club that meets roughly once a month.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

No, I was wearing my horn warmer though, it looks similar!

Ow! Most self-respecting demons probably wouldn´t hang around long on seeing that!

No, I was trying to sound possessed or like John Hurt in Alien/Spaceballs!

Escape is just round the corner, I´ve been in there a couple of times. Shame, if I´d known I would´ve come round, you reckon they would´ve let me listen if I´d said I was three? Unfortunately I was in Hamburg yesterday swapping beermats. Seems I really missed something...

BTW, what´s it like reading there, I´ve thought about it, but as I work with kids the whole week, I´m not so sure...

I think the bookshop checks your papers at the door to make sure you're really under the age of 6. You know, like your driver's license.* And if you're over that age they take you out back for a bit of what-for in the alley.

Or so I've heard.

You could just pretend to be some kid's parent. You know, just grab one at random in the shop and start yelling at them for misbehaving. No one will notice, and the real parent may even thank you.


It was fun, though at first I was a little disappointed because so few children were there at 10 am (just our two and a couple others), but more showed up later on. The first book I read was more a children's biography of St. Patrick and the kids obviously weren't terribly interested (hard to inject much humor into it, too), but the second book (Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato, cover image down below) I did it more true to my own form (silly voices, ham acting, that sort of thing -- you know, like the Royal Shakespeare Company does) and the kids were much more interested. I don't think they understood a word of the over-the-top Irish accent I was doing for the dialog, but they seemed to like hearing me do it, so what the hell.

[img]http://media.bestprices.com/content/isbn/38/0698116038.jpg[/img]

I just wonder if the parents will all sue me for ruining their children's English in the process.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

* - What? You didn't know toddlers have driver's licenses in Germany? Well, it does explain a lot, doesn't it?

They probably will - the parents that is.

You have to have a piece of paper for everything else in Germany, so why not a driving licence for little kids. How do you drive a kid though?

Well duh, you don't drive kids. They drive you.

To insanity.

You know what they say -- insanity is an inherited disease: You get it from your children.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

FWIW the next English-language Anglican service has been postponed a week to avoid a conflict with the regular Old Catholic Easter services. Thus the next service will be at 6 pm on April 14, not April 7.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

I haven´t got any kids - you´re not trying to tell me I´m sane are you...?

Ah, there are many paths to insanity. Just that child-rearing is the quickest one.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

That´s true. Working with them can also slowly but surely make you go round the bend...

As a quick reminder, the service is tonight at 6 pm at the Old Catholic parish hall, Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode. The service will be rather more festive than usual, being the Easter season and all.

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

Your favorite cult, uh, church is having another service. Yes, it's time for another Anglican church service (in English even) this weekend, on Saturday, 2 June, at 6 pm, at the parish hall of the Old Catholics, Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode.

Come one, come all! We serve free bread and wine! We tell awful jokes! You even get to meet me!

Sorry. I guess I should be telling you why you should be coming, not running away screaming.

Anyway! Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

I mentioned it in another thread, but since it's talked about as well here, I should note that the Hannover4EnglishSpeakers meetings mentioned above are not on the third Tuesday of the month any longer, but are now on the third Wednesday of the month. Been that way for some time, actually. But hey.

(Since I've been crowned Lord Protector of that group and can now lord it over the attendees. Well, actually I don't do it too much. Only a little.)

Meanwhile the next Anglican service is on July 7th at 6 pm, same location as always -- Gemeindezentrum der Alt-Katholiken, Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode. Free bread! Free wine! Free love! Free...uh...coffee!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

As a quick reminder: The next Anglican/Episcopal Holy Communion service in Hannover is tomorrow, Saturday, August 4th at 6 pm, Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

Next Anglican service is this Saturday, September 1 at 6 pm, Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode, at the parish hall of the Old Catholics. All are welcome to attend regardless of denomination.

If you want to bring any English books or magazines you'd like to exchange to donate, please feel free. (I usually bring along some myself.) Otherwise, the usual coffee, tea and snacks are on offer afterwards.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

This Saturday, 3 November, at 6 pm, we are having our monthly Anglican service in English, celebrating All Saints'.

As usual, it is located at the Old Catholic parish hall, Brabeckstraße 24, in Hannover-Kirchrode.

More about the services here.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

The next monthly English-language Anglican services in Hannover are this coming Saturday, Dec. 1st, at 6 pm, celebrating the first weekend of Advent. As usual the services are at the Old Catholic parish hall (Gemeindezentrum) at Brabeckstraße 24, Hannover-Kirchrode.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

The next English-language Anglican service is coming up on Saturday, January 5th at 6 pm. The service will celebrate the Christmas season and Epiphany, so there will be lots of Christmas carols to enjoy.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

The next Anglican service in English in Hannover is on March 1st, 2008, at 6 pm, same location as always.

Meanwhile, the next Hannover4EnglishSpeakers meeting is this Wednesday at 6:30 pm at Henry's Griddle, Georgstraße, across from the opera.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

The next English-language Anglican service in Hannover is this Saturday, April 5th at 6 pm, same location as above. The service will celebrate the Easter season -- hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Hi all,

The next Anglican service in English is this Saturday, May 3rd, at 6 pm -- same location as above.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Fairfax71