Penryn says bonjour to French twin town tourists (From Falmouth Packet)

Penryn says bonjour to French twin town tourists

12:40pm Friday 25th May 2012 in News By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer

Penryn played host to an assortment of international guests this weekend, when 26 tourists from the twin town of Audierne paid a visit.

The cultural exchange party, from the historic port in south west Brittany, was officially welcomed to Penryn by the recently re-elected mayor Gill Grant.

Mike Young, from the Penryn and District Twinning Association, said: “The guests were treated to a splendid cream tea where the Audierne deputy mayor Michel Collorec read an address from the mayor Jacqueline Donval and invited the Penryn mayor and her twinning association to Audierne next year.”

The year 2013 will mark the fortieth anniversary of the two towns’ twinning agreement and to celebrate the occasion Madame Donval suggested a renewing of the links between their respective schools, Mr Young said.

Chairman of the Audierne Twinning Association, Christian Colin, expressed his pleasure and interest in the group’s visits to the Eden Project and the National Maritime Museum and was especially excited about cheering on the Olympic Torch Relay through Falmouth on Saturday.

Roy Sanders, the chairman of the Penryn association, was keen to emphasise the importance of social twinning events and cultural exchanges and his words were ably translated by vice chairman Mary Owen.

After the civic reception, an evening of entertainment was planned at Mabe village hall.

“The music was absolutely brilliant, they put Edison Lighthouse on [best known for ‘Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)’] I was really surprised. It was proper professional quality,” Mr Young said.

On Sunday, a farewell lunch was held at the Greenbank Hotel before the delegation headed home to France.