The Best of Britain in Hamburg

Did you know that once a year, there’s a way to feel like you’re in the U.K. without ever leaving Hamburg? That way is by attending British Day, a two-day festival held at the end of August each year at the Polo Club in Klein Flottbek. The festival brings out the best of British culture, food, music and entertainment while raising money for local Hamburg charities.

British Day started in 1991 as a small one-day event (hence the name British “Day”, not “Days”). In the years since, thousands of people have attended British Day and over 200 companies and organizations have taken part. It is organized by the British Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg and is a combination of a trade fair and a lifestyle event. The money raised at British Day is donated to institutions in and around Hamburg who specialize in caring for underprivileged children.

So why would you want to go to British Day? Here are just a few reasons to get you thinking. If you’re interested in buying British clothing or furniture, thinking of traveling to the U.K. in the near future, or just want to find companies and organizations that cater to English speakers, there is sure to be a booth for you at British Day. In fact, that’s how I first got involved with British Day: the public speaking group I belong to, First Hanseatic Toastmasters, has had a booth there for the last three years. There are also all kinds of interesting special events held at British Day – Jack Russell Terrier races, cricket and rugby matches, sheep dog trials, and even the Scottish Highland Games (with events like Wanging a Welly and Tossing the Caber!). Finally, there’s the food. You can enjoy Pimms and strawberries and cream on the polo grounds lawn or linger over tea and scones with clotted cream. And while the line at the fish and chips booth is always long (though worth the wait!), there are also several booths where you can buy British food to take home.

If you’re a tombola (raffle) fan, you also won’t want to miss British Day; there is always a huge tombola with prizes ranging from a free roundtrip flight to London on British Airways, to a weekend at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel, to a round-trip ferry from the Hook of Holland to Harwich, and all proceeds go to Hamburg charities. Finally, the premier event of British Day is on Saturday night: the Open Air Proms Concert. The Last Night of the Proms Season in the Albert Hall in London is a British institution, and Hamburg’s own open air version of this event is the highlight of British Day. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, lantern and lots of food and wine and enjoy the concert by The City of London Sinfonia – you can even sing along to such British classics as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory.

So if you haven’t made it back to the States recently and you’re yearning for an English-speaking environment for a change, come on out to British Day! This year (2005) it is on August 27 and 28, starting at 11:00 both days. Tickets are EUR 8 for adults and EUR 2 for children (tickets for the Open Air Proms Concert are separate and are EUR 18 in advance or EUR 23 at the gate). It’s a lot of fun for people of all ages. For more information, see www.britishday.de. See you there!