A delegation of town twinners including Helston Mayor, John Martin, recently visited Sasso Marconi, Helston's twin town in Italy, to celebrate 50 years of friendship between the two towns.

The visitors from Helston were hosted by their counterparts in Sasso and were made to feel very welcome with fabulous food and visits to ancient towns such as Bologna and Lucca.

Sasso was the home of Guglielmo Marconi, the famous inventor of radio and it was because of his experiments at Poldhu near Helston that the two towns decided to formally twin back in 1968.

The twinning has been very active and vibrant ever since.

Highlight of the trip was a civic reception and party given to honour the Helston guests, which was attended by the Princess Elettra, Marconi's daughter.

John Martin and Sasso's mayor Stefano Mazzetti expressed their wholehearted support for the twinning and the hope that the ties between the two communities would go from strength to strength.

Helston's radio amateurs, as well as the two mayors, also got the chance to transmit from Marconi's old home, the Villa Griffone, back to Cornish amateurs at Poldhu's Marconi Centre, as well as to radio amateurs throughout the world.

The town twinning is open to everyone and is a great opportunity for people, young and old, to get to explore the Italian culture.

Phil Hanman, Chairman of the Helston-Sasso Twinning Group, said: "I've taken a number of groups from Helston to Sasso and it is so much more than just a holiday. By staying with people you really get to know the real Italy and it's also great for people who are learning the language."

If you would like some more information, phone Phil on 01736 361033 or e-mail hdtta@hotmail.co.uk