2012 Visit to Chipping Sodbury's twin town of Cesson

A visit is being arranged to Chipping Sodbury’s twin town of Cesson, near Paris in France by coach direct from Chipping Sodbury to Cesson, France, staying with our French families in their homes.

If it’s your first visit OR you do not have an existing link with a host family in Cesson, we would be delighted to establish one for you.

You don’t have to speak French to join us on this trip.

The cost per adult for the return coach journey will be a maximum of £90 for adults and £55 for children (dependent on numbers). Much cheaper than flying!

Click here to download a booking form.

Hogweed Trotters

Jeff Flynn and Mark Wolf from the Hogweed Trotters travelled to Cesson in September 2011 to run with the Cesson running club.

We hope to arrange for a group from the Hogweed Trotters to run in the 10k race in 2012.

2011 Visit from Chipping Sodbury's twin town of Cesson

Forty-four French people arrived at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall by coach from Cesson, Chipping Sodbury’s twin town, at 9am on Saturday, 11th June, the guests of Sodbury & District Twinning Association. Some had been here before, but sixteen were visiting the area for the first time.

They spent the rest of the day with their hosts until an Official Reception in the Charter Suite at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall in the evening, attended by the Mayor of Sodbury Town Council, Cllr Paul Jobbins OBE GM RD, Chairman of Dodington Parish Council, Cllr Mrs Gloria Stephen, Maire-Adjoint de Cesson, Jean-Michel Belhomme, and over 70 other guests. This was followed by a Barn Dance organised by the Chipping Sodbury Festival Committee.

2011 visit

On the Sunday, three French visitors joined the Hogweed Trotters for a training run in the rain. Unfortunately the rain set in for the day, which meant that the Boules-Pétanque competition on the Ridings overflow car park had to be called off but the guided walk of Chipping Sodbury went ahead. During the day there was a Chipping Sodbury Festival Service, followed by a Festival Reception and a guided walk of Chipping Sodbury. The concert by the Mendip Male Voice Choir in the evening was appreciated by the large number of local residents and their French guests who filled St. John’s Church, Chipping Sodbury.

The last day was spent in Bath, on a walking tour with three City of Bath Mayor’s Guides. After some spare time to have lunch and shop, the coach returned to Chipping Sodbury, before leaving for Cesson at 7.30pm. It arrived back in Cesson at about 8.00am on the Tuesday.

On his return, the Chairman of Cesson Twinning, Gérard Lagny, congratulated their hosts on a very successful weekend. Some of the Group had not been to this country before and are now keen to return.

In 2012, there will be a visit to Chipping Sodbury’s twin town of Cesson, near Paris in France from the 1st to the 5th June. For further details contact Pam Pearce on or telephone 01454 323702.

Pétanque

Sodbury & District Twinning Association held a Pétanque competition at the Overfow Car Park on the Ridings, Wickwar Road, Chipping Sodbury on Sunday, the 31st July. It was originally planned to coincide with the June visit from Sodbury’s twinned town of Cesson, but had been rained off.

The seventeen people who took part enjoyed playing in this different venue - the winners were Jock Walker, Pauline Kelly and Gill Harber (Team 1).

Thanks are due to Chipping Sodbury Town Trust for permitting the Competition to be held on the re-surfaced area, to Chipping Sodbury Football Club for providing refreshments, and to Duncan Brown for organising the event.

The Twinning Association are planning to take a Pétanque team on their next visit to Cesson.

How the Twinning Association began

British and French aviation engineers worked together on the British-French Concorde Project at Filton. Robin Blake, who later became Chairman of Dodington Parish Council, lived in Melun (near Cesson) in 1967/8, when he was the Bristol Siddely (later Rolls-Royce) Test Engineering representative.

He knew a number of colleagues who lived in Cesson from working with them at SNECMA Villaroche.

Visit to SNECMA museum 2010

Roland Lacroix was the SNECMA Engineering representative at Rolls-Royce in the early 70s. He lived in Patchway, but got to know a number of families from the Chipping Sodbury area, as a result of being introduced to Sodbury Round Table by Robin.

On his return to Cesson, he told Robin that they had a Twinning Committee and were looking for a similar sized UK community to form a twinning link.

La Mairie, Cesson

Two public meetings were held in Chipping Sodbury and a committee was formed in March 1978. The idea of twinning was supported by councils, local organisations and individuals.

Colin Hatfield became the first Chairman of Sodbury & District Twinning Association. Official charter ceremonies between Cesson and Sodbury Town and Dodington Parish Councils took place in 1979.

Since then regular visits have been arranged in both directions by the Twinning Committees in Sodbury & District and Cesson.

About the Association

Twinning brings together people from different countries to share their values and cultures, promoting friendship and understanding.

The Twinning Association organises visits for individuals and groups, develops links between schools and holds fund-raising activities.

Cesson is 36 miles south-east of Paris, north of Fontainebleau. It is a small residential town in the department of Seine et Marne: click here to visit www.ville-cesson.fr

Visits take place every year – alternating between Cesson and Sodbury & District.

If you are interested in twinning visits or coming to any of the events, please contact Pam Pearce on 01454 323702 or by email: .

Would you like to know more?

Click here to download a leaflet about Sodbury & District Twinning Association [PDF, 454kB]

For further information about Sodbury & District Twinning Association and its activities, please contact:

Secretary: Pam Pearce - email or telephone 01454 323702.