Two Voices

Two Voices Connecting Skegness with Bad Gandersheim through art, culture and conversation.
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Councillor John Byford answered a long-distance ‘call’ to use his artistic talents to reconnect Skegness with its twin town of Bad Gandersheim. It may have the ‘wurst’ possible signal (there is no phone inside) – but this old telephone box is now doing its bit to promote Skegness as a resort. After painting the red icon a shade of ‘yellowbelly’ last week – and filling it with images he took of the

Lincolnshire coast – visual artist and East Lindsey councillor Byford personally drove it to Germany in the back of a van.

“I just wanted to create something to promote Skegness and hopefully make more people want to visit,” he said. The art installation he created also signals the need for people to stay connected in the digital age via more personal, traditional means. Byford is overseeing work to make it a permanent feature in the town’s historic square, where it acts as a mini interactive exhibition.

“It is certainly making people talk already, which is what it’s designed to do,” he said. “People can go inside and write messages on postcards for others and think about how we can better connect.

“It will remain like this for one year. After that, other artists can apply to showcase their work inside it.”

An event to launch the phone box took place on Monday 14 September 2015 with a traditional English tea party. The phone box was originally from Ingoldmells, but had spent a number of years on the site of The Royal Hotel in Skegness, which donated it for the project. Councillor Byford praised the community and local businesses who offered support to enable the project to take shape. He will return to the country in 2018 to work on an art piece commemorating the end of the First World War.

06/02/2026
A huge shoutout to Eva for braving the freezing cold this morning to capture some fantastic images of the 'Two Voices' p...
04/01/2026

A huge shoutout to Eva for braving the freezing cold this morning to capture some fantastic images of the 'Two Voices' project in our twin town of Bad Gandersheim ❄️

Two Voices now has its very own independent website, celebrating every project since Made in England back in 2012. It also shines a spotlight on this year’s project, honouring Roswitha of Gandersheim - Germany’s first female poet and a remarkable cultural figure born in Bad Gandersheim.

➡️ skegness.org.uk

📸 More photos by Eva in comments below!

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04/11/2025

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Celebrating our vibrant cultural partnership with Bad Gandersheim. Here's to 2026 bringing fresh initiatives, creative e...
14/10/2025

Celebrating our vibrant cultural partnership with Bad Gandersheim. Here's to 2026 bringing fresh initiatives, creative exchanges, and even stronger bonds between our towns. 'Two Voices' is louder and stronger than ever!

Many thanks to Michael Moody for kindly supplying the smiley face flag for the window display in Bad Gandersheim, and to...
11/10/2025

Many thanks to Michael Moody for kindly supplying the smiley face flag for the window display in Bad Gandersheim, and to Ingrid Lohmann for adding her creative touch in decorating the shop window. It's looking wunderbar!!

🇩🇪🇬🇧

Bad Gandersheim is famous as the birthplace of Germany’s first female poet, Hrotsvitha (often known as Rosweta).Closer t...
11/10/2025

Bad Gandersheim is famous as the birthplace of Germany’s first female poet, Hrotsvitha (often known as Rosweta).

Closer to home, Alfred, Lord Tennyson - one of England’s greatest poets - was born just up the road from Skegness, in the village of Somersby.

Here in Skegness, his legacy is remembered through places such as Tennyson Green and Somersby Grove.

And in our twin town of Bad Gandersheim, lines of poetry from Tennyson now appear on both bench and box as part of the Two Voices project - a creative celebration that brings our communities together through words and art.

Two Poets. Two Towns. Two Voices.

"I am part of all that I have met"

Partnership working with Ingrid Lohmann.We also managed to get 'two voices' featured on The British-German Association F...
10/10/2025

Partnership working with Ingrid Lohmann.
We also managed to get 'two voices' featured on The British-German Association page.

Onwards and upwards 🇩🇪🇬🇧❤️

This morning, members of Skegness Twinning came together to hang handmade poppies from our twin town, Bad Gandersheim in...
10/10/2025

This morning, members of Skegness Twinning came together to hang handmade poppies from our twin town, Bad Gandersheim in Germany, as part of the Skegness Community Poppy Project.

🌺 Each poppy carries the spirit of remembrance, a message of hope, and celebrates the enduring friendship between our two towns. 🇬🇧🇩🇪

Today marks a very special moment‼️During our recent trip to our twin town of Bad Gandersheim in Germany, I had the hono...
10/10/2025

Today marks a very special moment‼️
During our recent trip to our twin town of Bad Gandersheim in Germany, I had the honour of giving a talk on the Skegness Poppy Appeal, sharing the story of how the poppy became a lasting symbol of remembrance after the Great War.

As part of the visit, beautifully hand-knitted poppies were presented to the Skegness Community Project. These special poppies have now made their journey home to Skegness, where they will take pride of place in the town’s remembrance display.

Each poppy carries with it the spirit of remembrance — and the enduring bond of friendship between our two towns. 🌺

📸 ‘Zwei Stimmen’ with Ingrid Lohmann and Tracy Turner ❤️

Many thanks to Julie Chapman for her 'local' book donations to the library in Bad Gandersheim. They were very well recei...
09/10/2025

Many thanks to Julie Chapman for her 'local' book donations to the library in Bad Gandersheim. They were very well received.

📸 Steve Gould

‼️Some lovely words from Niklas Kielhorn(Bürgermeister) Bad Gandersheim and Skegness have shared a close and meaningful ...
08/10/2025

‼️Some lovely words from Niklas Kielhorn
(Bürgermeister)

Bad Gandersheim and Skegness have shared a close and meaningful connection since 1979, when the two towns were officially twinned. The partnership was founded on a shared commitment to friendship, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding between our communities.

For more than a decade, association member John Byford has played a key role in nurturing this relationship through the transformative power of arts and culture. His creative initiatives have brought people together and deepened the bonds between our towns.

Among these, his much-loved "Two Voices" project, now celebrating its tenth year, has become a cherished part of the city centre.
In a time when international friendship and cultural collaboration matter more than ever, John's work continues to highlight the enduring value of the arts, not only as a means of expression, but as a powerful bridge between our two towns and their people.

Long may it continue!



📸 Lena Tokareva

Another great place to visit, just about an hour from our twin town of Bad Gandersheim, is the beautiful city of Hannove...
07/10/2025

Another great place to visit, just about an hour from our twin town of Bad Gandersheim, is the beautiful city of Hannover. Known for its grand boulevards, elegant baroque gardens, and vibrant cultural scene, Hannover is a city that combines history with modern life. You can wander through the stunning Herrenhausen Gardens, explore the Old Town with its charming half-timbered houses, or enjoy the shops, cafés, and restaurants that give the city its lively buzz. With its museums, theatres, and lakeside walks around the Maschsee, Hannover has something to delight every visitor.



📸 John Byford

Adresse

Stiftsfreiheit
Bad Gandersheim
37581

Telefon

+447742050065

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