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| Twinning Logo |
The Association is now in its twenty-first year and is one of the
largest groups in Lyndhurst and one of the most successful Twinning
Associations in the New Forest.
Our twin village, La Chevrolière, has just under 5000
inhabitants and is situated in the Loire-Atlantique, some 15
km southwest of the city of Nantes.
It is a prosperous area of
sunshine, vines (Muscadet is best known), market gardening and
light industries. Perhaps La Chevrolière’s chief
claim to fame results from its proximity to the Lac de Grand-Lieu.
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| One of the largest lakes in France |
This
is one of the largest lakes in France – 4000 hectares
in summer and 6300 hectares in winter – and is a major
site for naturalists and more particularly, ornithologists. Most
importantly, however, the people are friendly, hospitable and
welcoming.
The aim of the Twinning Association is to foster friendship
between people of all ages and backgrounds. Sporting, cultural
and social activities are part of our regular visits.
Twinning
visits are much more than just a holiday abroad. We seek to provide
an opportunity for families and individuals to make regular visits
to a particular part of France, and, by experiencing at first-hand
life in a French household, to gain a better appreciation of
different attitudes and ways of doing things.
Speaking a little
French is helpful but not at all essential, and many firm friendships
have come about over the last fifteen years.
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| Twinning Association Wall Hanging 2010 |
A twinning visit is made every year; we visit and receive alternately.
A group of 73 people from La Chevrolière visited us in 2010 for the twentieth anniversary of the signing
of the Twinning Charter.
A trip to Windsor Castle and Eton was greatly appreciated by our guests. A
celebratory dinner - dance for 140 people was held at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel during the course of which
a wall-hanging consisting of 20 images designed to be emblematic of the Forest, was presented to the Mayor.
This had taken in excess of 250 woman-hours to produce.
More recently, a commemorative tree has been planted in Great Mead, with the financial assistance of the Parish Council,
and this will in due course be surrounded by a wrought iron bench.
In late May 2011 33 of our members went to La Chevrolèire for a very pleasant three-day visit. |
