When the coach broke down in the port of Calais, 36 members of the Weymouth & Portland-Louviers Society had to wait five hours in the terminal cafe, until the decision was made to send the party to a local hotel. The plan had been to stop at Amiens overnight. The Portsmouth-based coach company eventually sent over a replacement coach and the journey to Louviers continued the next morning.
There were more difficulties at Calais on the return journey, when UK immigration officials insisted on checking all passports, resulting in a four hour queue into the port!
“In between the dramas at Calais, we all enjoyed a very good weekend in our twin town of Louviers” comments Chairman Cath Irving, “full of delights, warmth and friendship. The civic reception on Saturday night was a mix of lovely food, wine and dancing- in any order they came. Sunday, we were treated to a trip down the River Seine with both French and English commentary, to say nothing of more food and wine.”
For the newly elected Mayor of Louviers, Francois-Xavier Priollaud, it was his first time greeting the Weymouth delegation, led by Mayor Kate Wheller. “It was a pleasure to meet Francois-Xavier Pouillard and his wife, also to renew our friendship with First Deputy Mayor Anne Terlez, who visited us in June,” continues Cath Irving. “Anne brought her husband and young family. We hope the youth of France will continue to form close friendships with our young people.”
“After World War II, our common losses strengthened our friendship,” began Francois Fermanel, addressing the Weymouth delegates. “That brotherly link has resulted in numerous twinnings between French and English towns. They’ve been the result of our solidarity and military engagement after the invasion of our country. The deadly fights between 1914 and 1918 decimated our youth and plunged our families into mourning. These tearful misfortunes have given way to our strong friendship. Most of us belong to the third generation that came after World War I, in which our grandparents played an active part. How many of us heard about our grandparents testimonies in our childhoods? We are the last holders of the memories of past British and French soldiers.”
Weymouth twinning society Chairman Cath Irving responded that “the original intention of town twinning was to promote friendship on all levels and I am proud to say I believe we have achieved that. But the future relies on our young people and it is with this in mind that I urge members of both societies to encourage them to participate in twinning, both within the societies and offering exchange facilities. If during this weekend, just one or two people could exchange ideas, contact details and email addresses, maybe by this time next year some of our groups may have begun a really interesting exchange programme.”
A glass bowl was presented to Doris Eastwood by the Mayor of Louviers, to mark her 30 years service as Honorary Town Crier of Louviers.
The twinning link between Weymouth and Louviers began in 1958, 56 years ago. Louviers is a market town in Normandy, near Rouen.
Michel Hooper-Immins
Photo: Weymouth twinning committee Chairman Cath Irving, Louviers twinning committee Chairman Jacqueline Hamon, Weymouth & Portland Mayor Kate Wheller, Louviers Mayor Francois-Xavier Priollaud, Louviers First Deputy Mayor Anne Terlez. Doris Eastwood, Honorary Town Crier of Louviers stands behind.
Photograph by Trevor Matthews
