France/ Erdre-en-Anjou. The twinning committee looks to the future

On Friday, for the 50th time since its creation, the Vern-d'Anjou twinning committee welcomed its 22 friends from Tatsfield, a suburb of London, England.

The twinning committee was created in 1975 by Roger Gillier, mayor of Vern-d'Anjou", recalls Hervé Forveille, its current president.

The children of the former mayor, now deceased, were present at the welcoming ceremony for the Tatsfield delegation.

We're at a turning point

For the past fifty years, during the Easter weekend, members of the Vern-d'Anjou committee have welcomed their British guests for a convivial sightseeing program. On Friday, everyone visited Château-Gontier (Mayenne) on the little tourist train.

In July, it's Vern's turn to visit Tatsfield. It has taken men and women to bring this twinning to life. I'd like to thank all the people who have contributed to its success," says Hervé Forveille, "as well as the municipality, which has always helped us over the past half-century.

Volunteering is what seems to be the problem today. On the English side, there's no one left in the organization," notes the president, "Back in the day, the Vern-d'Anjou group wanted a cultural and tourist exchange with our friends across the Channel. We set up an English language course, run by teachers, around this event, which still exists today. But today, on both sides, it's a bit like a generation coming to an end.

So now we're at a turning point. What will become of this twinning? We need to think about this on both sides of the Channel, to find out what direction to give it, or whether it should continue.

Source: www.ouest-france.fr/