News

Members of both Soham Town Council and Soham Twinning Association have just returned from Andrézieux-Bouthéon, near Lyon in the South of France, where they were guests at the official twinning of the two towns on Saturday 15th April 2006.  The ceremony began with the laying of a wreath and then the playing of both National Anthems from each country in conjunction with the raising of the British Union Jack, French Tricolor and European Flag (performed by 12-year old Callum Ross, son of Soham Town Council’s Vice-Chairman Mrs Fiona Ross).

The Head of Tourism in Andrézieux-Bouthéon, Monsieur Gerard Brot, then welcomed the visitors from both countries within the Council Chamber of Andrézieux-Bouthéon, followed by a series of speeches by a number of significant people from each of the two towns. Soham Town Councillor, Mr John Kirkham and Madame Martine Crawford, heading the respective Twinning Associations, headed the proceedings’ by emphasising the huge benefits to be gained by both communities in bringing about a better understanding between two societies with both similarities and cultural differences. Both speakers stressed the immense importance that there is no better way to get two foreign communities to get to know each other better by the way of exchanges between schools, sports clubs, performing arts groups as well as other organisations representing every imaginable interest in all areas of life.

Soham Town Council Chairman, Mrs Rosemary Aitchison, confidently and eloquently spoke in French to thank the French hosts not only for their warm welcome and generosity but also for all the hard work that had gone into preparing the ground on both sides of the Channel, which had culminated in the official twinning of the two towns. The Mayor of Andrézieux-Bouthéon followed on by saying the main aim of twinning with Soham was to ultimately bring the European Union closer together by the bonding of the two towns and two nations, which in the past had had their differences but had worked together in a more than troubled world. After an exchange of official gifts, the twinning charter was officially signed by The Mayor of Andrézieux-Bouthéon, Monsieur Jean-Claude Schalk and the Chairman of Soham Town Council, Mrs Rosemary Aitchison.

Soham will now look forward to a visit by an official delegation from Andrézieux-Bouthéon when the counterpart of the Twinning Charter will finally be signed in a ceremony performed during the 53rd Soham Carnival and Heavy Horse Show on Bank Holiday Monday 29th May 2006 at 3.15pm on the Recreation Ground in Soham. The week preceding the Carnival in Soham will see several events taking place with a very French flavour forming part of ‘Soham’s French Week’ organized by the Soham Festival Society.

April 2006