Vire visit to Totnes October 2023
Late evening on Friday 20th October the Virois arrived at Morrison’s Car Park. The party comprised of the President and Treasurer from the Vire Twinning Committee and eight members of the Vire Town Council, one of the deputy Mays had bee left behind as she had had a problem with her ticket but joined the party on the Saturday evening. The French were introduced to their hosts and due to the lateness of the hour we all went off to bed arranging to meet again in the morning at the Totnes Guild Hall at 10am.
The following morning, we split into small groups and took the French on a walking tour of Totnes Town Centre culminating in a light lunch, which had been prepared by out President Marion in the Guild Hall. The French party had hoped to meet with our Town Councillors representing Sport, Culture, Transition and Youth. They were told by our mayor Emily Price that in England we did not operate our local authorities as they did in France, however she had arranged for several councillors and members of Transition Totnes, and a representative of the South Devon Cycling Club to speak to them. The French then replied by describing what they hoped we would be able to provide together in forthcoming visits. They would like to see sports clubs getting together for fixtures. Choirs or singing groups visiting each other and arranging concerts and our local primary schools getting together with schools in Vire to interact with each other learning about each other’s cultures. After a very pleasant afternoon we all returned with our gusts home and meet up again for dinner at the Waterside Bistro.
Sunday morning, we met at St Mary’s for the Mayor’s Civic Service, the vicar Father Jim welcomed the French and had arranged with his mother-in-law, who is a fluent French speaker, to translate parts of the service. When the service had finished, we processed from the church down Fore Street to the Royal Seven Stars when we were invited to join the Town Councillors in a Civic Lunch. After lunch there were a few speeches, and we took our guests home to spend the evening with us in our homes.
Monday morning, we gather one again in Morrison’s car park where goodbyes were exchanged and then the French boarded their mini-bus and were taken by Mike Boyle and his wife Anne to Buckfast Abbey for a visit to the abbey and gardens. Lunch was had at the Abbey’s restaurant and then Mike and Anne had to leave them to make their was to Plymouth and eventually to catch their ferry to Roscoff, whilst Mike and Anne took the French Twinning President Frederic back to Totnes to catch a train to London as he had to get the Channel Connection to Paris .
Later the following day Mike received an email from Frederic to say that they had all arrived home safely and that they had greatly enjoyed their visit, although a return date was not agreed it was hoped that they would be a visit next year, Mike said that he would be in contact with Frederic in the new year.
All in all, a good visit when it was hoped that both side learned what was required to take Twinning forward into the future.