Barking and Dagenham people celebrated the humble onion as they took part in fun-packed jaunt in Germany at the weekend.
The 13 residents went on a boat trip along the River Ruhr, ate continental food and some even had the chance to taste onion beer in Witten, west Germany.
The visit on Friday coincided with the annual onion festival, which celebrates the virtues of the vegetable throughout German towns.
The subsidised trip was organised to boost interest in Witten, the university town twinned with Barking and Dagenham.
Tony Richards, 76, of Barking and Dagenham Witten Club, joined the group, which included Mayor Tony Ramsay and his wife Jeanne Alexander.
Mr Richards, of Wilmington Gardens, Barking, said: “Onion beer is not bad at all. I would recommend it.
“The group were really keen on the visit. We expect most of them will become members of the club. They got one hell of a weekend.”
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