In 2016 our two towns celebrated this special Anniversary of our long and strong friendship between local residents. Much preparation was made by individual members of Battle Twinning Association to commemorate and co-ordinate our events with the 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
The St Valery sign in St Mary’s Churchyard was restored and beautifully re-painted. A Twinning banner and commemorative cushions were designed and embroidered for the same church. A garden of golden roses and yellow perennial flowers was planted in the Almonry Gardens, with an engraved plaque of our 50 years of Twinning. A photographic exhibition of our history and activities was mounted in Battle Library for the month of October.
The first highlight of the year was a visit to St.Valery by Battle members for a weekend of superb events. We were welcomed at the Hotel de Ville by the Mayor and our hosts, where we presented 5 golden rose bushes to the town. The next day we had a fascinating guided tour of the medieval town with its flower strewn lanes and wonderful views over the Bay of the Somme. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a famous restaurant and later visited local museums of country life and the environment. The evening was celebrated with dinner on the steam train that toured the bay while we were serenaded by local musicians. Our last day saw us visiting the weekly market and sampling more superb cuisine in friend’s homes and gardens.
The second special event of the year was the weekend of 14th October to coincide with the commemoration of the Battle of Hastings. A large group arrived from St.Valery to be hosted by Battle members. The events of 14th were enjoyed by all together, visiting our photographic exhibition, making stitches on the Community Battle Tapestry, attending the magnificent church service with visiting dignitaries as well as Norman and Saxon re-enactors, then enjoying the Band Concert by the Royal Engineers on the Green.
Our guests were taken on a guided tour the next day. This was led by local historians visiting secret gardens and architecture of Battle. They sampled a typical pub lunch, then spent the afternoon in Battle Abbey seeing the grand re-enactment and the campments and displays. On the last day of the visit we had a grand luncheon to celebrate our Anniversary, after which we waved goodbye to our friends until our next meeting.
You can read this article on the event if you fancy brushing up on your French!