Twin Town of Triel welcomes Leatherhead!

A group of 17 local residents and councillors recently visited the town of Triel-sur-Seine in France to celebrate the ratification of the official twinning between Triel and Leatherhead and District. The twinning ceremony took place in Leatherhead last October following 13 years of informal exchanges, and the Mayor and residents of Triel were keen to celebrate the twinning on French soil.

Early on Saturday morning a powerboat pulling three water skiers put on a spectacular show on the Seine. Each water skier carried a flag, one the Union Jack, one the EU flag and one the French flag. This demonstration of unity and solidarity was greatly appreciated by all present, especially as the skiers had to cope with difficult weather conditions!

The ceremony to celebrate the official twinning took place in Maison Senet, a historical house on the banks of the Seine. During his speech, the Mayor spoke of his hopes for future links between the two towns and stressed the importance of cultural exchanges between young people. A 50-strong choir from a local junior school sang all 4 verses of our National Anthem in perfect English – happily the British delegates were given a sheet with the words!

After a sumptuous lunch, the visitors and hosts were treated to a tour of Triel in a variety of vintage cars, ranging from a 1920’s Citroen to an old London taxi, all provided by the Vintage Car Club of Triel. These vehicles toured the town in a noisy procession lasting over an hour, during which local residents stopped to wave and cheer.

In the late afternoon, a ‘boules’ match took place with teams of mixed nationality. Much enjoyment was had from trying to fathom out the rules, scoring and technique of the game, given that language skills were somewhat limited in some cases! Prizes were then awarded (rather randomly!) and commemorative T-shirts distributed to all present.

A Gala Dinner was held on Saturday evening at the ‘Rive Gauche’, a prestigious local restaurant on the banks of the Seine. The French demonstrated their undoubted superiority at Le Jive, but it was the Brits who were still on the dance floor at 2.30am!

Sunday involved a trip to either the local open-air market or the supermarket for essential wine and cheeses and then, following a delicious lunch in a local park, the group began their journey home.

Once again, the legendary warmth and hospitality of our French friends was in evidence all weekend. As we are all keen to say, Vive la Difference…and Vive la France!

Churches in Leatherhead travel to Triel

Canon David Eaton of St Mary & St Nicholas Parish Church, Leatherhead, will lead what is described as a ‘Journey of Discovery through Northern France’ in October 2005.

A group of 40 people from various churches in the locality will spend seven days from 22 October visiting a variety of cathedrals, abbeys and chateaux in Normandy. They will also go to Monet’s house and garden at Giverny and visit the Bayeux tapestry, the defences at Arromanches and some war cemeteries.

We are delighted that the group have also incorporated a visit to Triel-sur-Seine in their itinerary, and will spend a day attending a church service, having lunch in Triel and exploring the locality. We wish them a happy and successful journey.

Joining the Friends of Triel

Triel is a small town of 11,000 inhabitants on the banks of the River Seine about 30 kilometres west of Paris. There is great enthusiasm in Triel to link up with local organisations over here - representatives from French churches, choral societies, football clubs, schools and a host of other organisations in Triel are keen to foster links with similar organisations in the Leatherhead area. The twinning committee would be delighted to hear from any local groups who would like to join the ‘Friends of Triel’.

On a more personal level, the welcome and hospitality encountered by the various groups who have visited Triel over the years is always warm and generous.

The committee are keen to expand the membership of the ‘Friends of Triel’ and would welcome any individuals or families who would like to join as new members. If you are interested in joining or finding out more, please contact Peter Brader on 01372 275862 or email friends_of_triel@hotmail.com