Celebrating 30 years of twinning

MEMBERS are looking forward to a very busy year as 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of linking with our first twin town, Friedrichsdorf in Germany. It is expected that the anniversary will be celebrated in Chesham in September when  it is our turn to host the annual Cultural Weekend with visitors expected from the German town and from Houilles, our French connection.

In the meantime, there is a busy programme ahead, including visits to Archena in April and to Houilles for the International Weekend in May, when the Chesham party of around 25 will meet up with friends from Friedrichsdorf and from Houilles's other twin towns, Celerico de Basto in Portugal and Schoelcher, Martinique.

On the domestic front, the 31 Club, which meets when the month has 31 days, will be playing boules, listening to the story of a journey through the Panama Canal, staging a barbecue, a pub walk and a ghost walk.

A busy 2009 ended with three members travelling to Houilles to take part in the town's Christmas Market, selling English produce to French shoppers. Two other members, Roger and Chantal Woods, were in Houilles for the town's 38th annual Corrida on December 27th, when athletes - and some not so athletic - took part in various races around the streets, an event which several Chesham runners entered some years ago. 

The association has had great support in the past year from Town Mayor Justine Fulford, who travelled with us to Friedrichsdorf in September last year for a Cultural Weekend as well as taking part in some 31 Club events and who attended our annual general meeting at the end of January, in company with Deputy Mayor Jane Bramwell. Councillor Bramwell has already booked her place on our party for the May International Weekend in Houilles.