ON the last weekend of April, 48 members of the Beaumont-le-Roger Society in Wotton-under-Edge travelled to Normandy to celebrate the thirtieth exchange between the two towns.

A highlight of the visit was a trip to the gardens of the Palace of Versailles where we witnessed a water fountain display accompanied by Baroque music.

This was followed by a picnic in the park of St. Germain-en-Laye on the outskirts of Paris, from where we had a spectacular view of La Defense and the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

During the second full day of the exchange, after a guided tour of the town of Beaumont-le-Roger, the visitors from Wotton-under-Edge were entertained by their host families.

The week-end culminated with a soirée of dining and dancing in a local village hall.

The enjoyment of the event was testimony to the strong bonds of friendship which have been built up over the past 30 years.

Graciane Joly-Rosier and Roger Gunning, chairpersons respectively of the Beaumont-le-Roger and Wotton-under-Edge twinning societies, cut two special cakes to celebrate the 30 year of exchange.

The Beaumont-le-Roger Society was founded in 1987 to promote friendship and broaden the mutual understanding of the cultural, similarities between Wotton and Beaumont-le-Roger in Normandy.

This takes place each year with members from Wotton and Beaumont visiting families on alternate years.

Some families have established firm friendships without speaking each other’s language.

In addition to the exchange, local fund-raising and social events are held during the year.