RAYNE   Twinning   Association

Twinned with VERBERIE,   France

TWINNING  VISITS 2004

Visit to Verberie May 2004

In the early evening there was a concert of music for traditional French dancing, to join in for those who wished to.  The band included a hurdy-gurdy (rarely seen in Britain) and two bagpipe players.  Unlike British bagpipes they are not blown, but pumped with a bellows under the player's arm.

On Sunday the day started with a visit to the Rex cinema in Paris.  The huge building is preserved (in Britain it would be classified as a Listed Building) and used to demonstrate the history of cinema and a simple exlanation of the way a film is made.  As we were led behind the stage and into the old projection room, we were being filmed secretly and at the end pictures of the group were merged into two short film sequences.

Visit to Rayne October 2004

On Saturday 30th October Rayne Twinning Association hosted 49 people from Verberie, France for a weekend of activities and friendship.  This was the second time this year that the two villages have met to celebrate ten years of twinning.  In May 33 villagers from Rayne visited Verberie and were treated to warm hospitality and it was now the turn of Rayne villagers to host friends from our twin village.

After a lunch with respective host families, our French visited were taken to Dunmow where members of Dunmow Twinning Association, Cllr. Michael Miller, Mayor of Dunmow and greeted them most splendidly by Richard Harris, Town Crier.  Our French visitors were enthralled by this display of English tradition and many wanted to be photographed with the Town Crier.

Next followed a visit to the superbly renovated Maltings with a guided tour.  The buildings, their history and the process of renovation were much appreciated by all visitors.  The museum provided a similarly stimulating time with many questions being asked.

In the early evening a beacon was lit at the Swan pub in Rayne, a traditional warning that the French were coming although this visit was very much in friendship.  The barn dance in Rayne village hall saw much activity and enjoyment with family members of all ages involved in the dancing.  An exquisite buffet of with a Halloween theme (including Dracula's eyes and superb desserts of spiders and witches, provided by Kathy Beattie, was relished by all.

An early start on the Sunday morning saw two coaches, one French and one from Flagfinders, driven by Lewis, travel to London.  A trip from Westminster Pier to Greenwich via the Thames Barrier was followed by visits to many of the attractions within the village of Greenwich.  During the boat trip the French visitors presented Twinning members with a crystal key ring, engraved with Rayne and Verberie, celebrating ten year of Twinning.  Time was all too short and everyone headed for Rayne and an evening meal with host families.

The visit concluded with emotional farewells on the Monday morning when our French visitors visited Harrods and spent four hours in London.  Everyone looks forward to their next visit, probably in May 2005.