Willingham by Stow has taken the opportunity to broaden its cultural, linguistic and educational assets by forming twinning links with two other European villages. The first village to form a link with us was Moyenneville in France. Chosen for its many similarities which included its population and rural situation this relationship has slowly developed since its inauguration in 2000. The second community to become part of what is now a tri-partnership is the small town of Postrelmov in the Czech Republic. Following a number of visitations and trial visits the official agreement was signed in July 2011. Already, after several exchanges of hospitality, friendships have been made which strengthens the already deepening long term relationships we have with our French friends.
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A small committee in each country maintains the continuity and organisational planning of the partnerships. All three countries are members of their respective national twinning organisations who give guidance and information as well as providing assistance in making applications for financial grant aid for visits.
The idea of hosting a French or Czech family or staying in the home of someone you have never met can be daunting, but those who have taken part have invariably enjoyed the experience and gained a mutual understanding of what twinning is about.
In April 2008 a party of 46 villagers travelled to Moyenneville for a weekend and enjoyed a number of educational and historical visits along with some wonderful French dining experiences.
In July 2009 we welcomed 50 visitors to Willingham. This included a small party from the Czech Republic and preliminary discussions took place to explore the possibilities of forming a three way relationship. The weekend was a great success and enjoyed good weather and plans continued to develop this ideal.
In July 2010 the first full three way visit was hosted in Moyenneville France. All three countries mingled, talked, partied and enjoyed the experience of being together. An excellent programme of events and cultural opportunities was planned by our Moyenneville hosts.
In July 2011 following our first exploratory trip the previous Autumn, a much larger group visited Postrelmov along with our French friends. The Czech people were welcoming to all our families and showed themselves to be excellent hosts. The formal signing agreement took place over the weekend along with visits to local amenities and attractions.
In July 2012 it will be the turn of Willingham to host visitors from both countries. Plans are already underway to continue with our successful tri twinning relationships.
We hope to encourage new people from the community to join us and experience first hand the fundamentals of twinning. If you would like to consider hosting or taking part in the future we will be pleased to hear from you.
