At 7.30am on Friday 7th May a coach full of Syston Twinners left for Deville les Rouen to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Twinning Charter.Following a smooth journey, they were warmly greeted by the Mayor of Deville and by the host families at a drinks reception.
Families then separated to spend an evening together, either to catch up with family events or to get to know new friends.
On Saturday morning there was a formal wreath laying ceremony at Deville Cemetery in memory of members of both Twinning groups who had passed on during those thirty years, along with Victory in Europe day which is very important to our Deville families who had themselves or family members endured occupation during the second world war, something that none of us can really relate to as the UK was not invaded.
Later that day the families all enjoyed a visit to the medieval village of Gerberoy to view the gardens and paintings of the impressionist painter Henri Le Sidaner. This was followed by a pleasant tea at the local restaurant.
In the evening, groups of families got together to share the experience of a typical French evening of eating, drinking and talking. Naturally, there was much discussion of the General Election and sharing of experiences and views with regard to the politics of each country.
The official celebration of the signing of the Twinning Charter took place on Sunday morning at the Voltaire Cultural Centre. The Reveil Devillois, the local brass band, welcomed everyone by playing the two national anthems.
In the theatre, speeches were given by representatives of both Twinning groups and Town Councils, gifts were exchanged and the Deville Big Band Jazz Orchestra entertained everyone delightfully. The whole ceremony was concluded with a cocktail reception, which allowed everyone to mingle and chat informally.
The final event, and some felt it to be the highlight of the week-end, was a dinner dance at the newly opened Halle du Pont Roulant.
The Deville Twinning committee entertained everyone with some spirited line dancing accompanied by the Regis Shez duo, who not only played during the superb seven course meal, but also ensured that there was something for everyone to dance to, to wear off some of the calories put on over the weekend.
On the journey home, many stories and memories of the events of the weekend were shared, but the common theme of all was about the friendship and understanding that had been felt by everyone.
Next May Syston Twinning welcome the families from Deville, and it’s going to be a huge task to make sure that they have an equally enjoyable and interesting weekend here.
If anyone would like to join the Twinning and take part in sharing cultures and bringing people together, please visit the Syston Twinning website at www.leicestershirevillages.com/
syston/systontwinningassociation.
