A CROSS channel friendship of half a century has finally been celebrated.
Members of the Leamington International Twinning Society and the town’s mayor recently returned from Leamington’s twin town of Sceaux near Paris after marking the 50th anniversary of their twinning, which was delayed by the pandemic from 2020.
Town twinning across Europe began in earnest after the Second World War as a way to forge friendship and understanding between nations.
The declaration signed between the Sceaux mayor Philippe Laurent and the then Leamington mayor Susan Rasmussen states: “Five decades have sealed an unfailing trust and friendship between our two municipalities.”
The celebrations included a guided tour of The Louvre and lunch on the Seine followed by the unveiling of a plaque in Place de Leamington commemorating the anniversary.
VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) was marked at a special ceremony also attended by the mayor of Brühl, the town in Germany which is twinned with both Sceaux and Leamington.
A poem written by local schoolchildren was read out by them in a different language for each verse – including one in Ukrainian – a reminder of the on-going need for friendship and understanding between communitie.
Karen MacQueen chair of Leamington International Twinning Society said: “Next year is the 50th anniversary of the twinning between Leamington and Brühl so we are looking forward to celebrating that milestone with a visit to Germany.
“The society provides a unique way of experiencing another country through visits to host families and receiving guests in your own home.”
Visit leamtwinning.uk for more information.
