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French visit marks 50 years of Edenbridge and District Twinning Association

Edenbridge & District Twinning Association with French visitors

The Twinning Association celebrated its 50th Anniversary (and final year), when our French Twinners from Mont St Aignan visited Edenbridge over the weekend of 12-14 May.

A public event was held at Rickards Hall on Saturday morning where guests enjoyed entertainment from the ever-popular Edenbridge Town Band as well as A Capella Singers and the loud and colourful Marlings Morris clog dancers! Thank you also to pupils from Edenbridge Primary School for their rendition of Frère Jacques. Among the attendees was local MP Tom Tugendhat, as well as Town, District and County councillors.

Speeches were made and gifts were exchanged, including a piece of art made out of locally-sourced oak with a golden centre, symbolic of the Golden Anniversary.

Edenbridge Town Council Chairman, Cllr Bob Todd, said: “The aims of the Charter linking our two towns – to develop mutual understanding and friendship – are as relevant today as they were in 1973. But times have changed, quite dramatically in the past few years, so sadly this is our last year of Twinning. Yet the connections between us will remain a lasting legacy and part of our history.”

Following the morning’s celebrations, guests were welcomed to The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle by local horticulturalist and plant-hunter, Tom Hart Dyke.

And what trip to England would be complete without a fish ‘n’ chip supper, which our visitors were able to enjoy back in Edenbridge that evening!

On the Sunday, there was an opportunity to walk around the town and see the items that had been gifted over the years. These include:

  • French post box situated outside the Council’s office
  • Sun dial located by the Great Stone Bridge
  • Oak tree planted at Pound Green
  • Mont St Aignan relief-road sign

The final stop was at St Peter and St Paul’s churchyard where a bed of yellow/gold roses has been created with a commemorative plaque to mark the 50th anniversary.

Rose bed at St Peter and St Paul’s Church.
Chairman of EDTA, Lindsey Eaton, pictured second from right

Edenbridge Town Council is pleased to have been able to support the Twinning Association and its aims over the years. The weekend was a great success, and in no small part due to the hard work of the Association’s Chairman, Lindsey Eaton, and Secretary Caroline Mercer.

A Twinning Exhibition, which reviews fifty years of friendship and trips, is running in the Eden Valley Museum on the High Street until the end of June.