THE FRENCH tricolore was flying alongside the Union flag at Wotton-under-Edge Town Hall at the weekend as the town welcomed a party of around 50 visitors from its French twin town, Beaumont-le-Roger, in Normandy.

The visitors, led by the Deputy Mayor of Beaumont, Mme Paulette Ollivier, were greeted by Town Mayor cllr Chris Galbraith at a reception on Saturday morning . They then spent the remainder of that day with host families.

On Sunday guests and hosts travelled by coach for a steam train ride on the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire railway at Toddington. A warm welcome was provided by the volunteers on the railway and the experience was much enjoyed both by youngsters and the young-at-heart in the group. This was followed by a picnic on the banks of the Avon at Tewkesbury and time to visit the Abbey and Tewkesbury's other attractions.

That evening all attended the now traditional twinning dinner. In their peeches, the civic and twinning society leaders all stressed the importance of the personal friendships that have developed around the twinning as a means of continuing to foster good relationships between the towns, and in particular their pleasure at the increasing number of families with young children who are becoming involved. The entente was clearly more than merely a cordial understanding - it was a positive, warm friendship.

Beaumont-le-Roger Society chairman Martin Lee said afterwards: "It was a particular pleasure to welcome our French friends in this the centenary year of the Entente Cordiale and to have shown them some of our industrial heritage with a steam train ride as this year also marks the bicentenary of railways - an invention which spread from England into France and the rest of the world.

"We were particularly fortunate that the weather did not follow the pessimistic forecasts and we were able to enjoy our day in the sunshine. The visit was greatly enjoyed by all and re-affirmed the personal links between the two communities that have grown up over the 17 years of the twinning."

The Beaumont-le-Roger Society exists to raise funds in support of the twinning arrangements between Wotton and Beaumont, for which no public funding is available in this country, and to organise the annual visits which are hosted in alternate years in the two towns.

Plans are already being discussed for the next visit to Beaumont over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May, 2005.

Anyone interested in joining the society can get full details from Mr Lee (tel 01453 548996).