French connection

Last week Nether Kellet and Over Kellet played host to around fifty visitors from Bussieres, which is about 25 miles from Lyon, towards the south of France.

During the five-day visit, community officials signed a twinning charter, which sets out to "establish a firm foundation for respect and friendship" between the three settlements.

The Mayor of Bussieres Dominique Marchand said they were all "proud and honoured" that the Kellets had agreed to become their twin town.

He said: "We all express a wish that from now on the friendships will continue to be durable and dynamic and that we will continue to develop the association by organising events and activities that cement out new friendships."

Nether Kellet Parish council chairman Tom Holden, Over Kellet parish chairman Roger Griffiths, the Bussieres mayor and members of the twinning committees then signed the charter, followed by a toast and exchange of gifts.

During their stay the French visitors enjoyed a day trip to the Lake District with a walk on Skiddaw and a boat lake on Derwentwater.

They also spent a morning exploring Lancaster and visited the RSPB reserve at Leighton Moss, near Silverdale.

Judith Bentham, the Kellets twinning committee chairman, said the visit had gone very well, with both the visitors and host families enjoying themselves and getting on well.

In August a party of villagers from the Kellets will make a return visit to the French town, and Mrs Bentham said she hoped people would be encouraged by the success of this exchange to sign up for the return visit.

Neighbouring Carnforth could also soon be celebrating international links with a twin town of their own.

Clerk to the town council John Pratt said following a letter from a French town near the Belgian border, which was searching for twin town, councillors were keen to explore the opportunity further through a sub-committee of five members.