French town bids adieu to Devon twin to join with rival

WHEN councillors from Bovey Tracey in Devon contacted their twin town in France, they were excited to discuss plans for a cultural exchange.

But the feeling was not mutual. Officials in Le Molay-littry in Normandy have informed them that their love for Bovey Tracey has cooled. And to add insult to injury, they have taken up with a rival 200 miles away in Essex.

The bombshell came in a council meeting this week when Cllr Chris Robillard delivered the news that Le Molay-littry had a new twin: the Frenchsounding Theydon Bois in Essex.

“They were initially positive about renewing our friendship but they’ve had a change in local government and a new mayor, and the new regime has decided to say au revoir. They thought we’d forgotten them,” he said.

Mr Robillard, who has French ancestry, added: “I’m very much for l’entente cordiale but now I’m not sure what to do other than find a new twin.”

Cllr George Gribble set up the arrangement 40 years ago, when he was mayor. “It was jolly good fun,” he said. “We would go over there and have far too much wine; they would come here and have far too much cider. I even took a red phone box over there for the town hall – and a lawnmower.”

In Le Molay-littry, a pretty town near the D-day beaches, the mayor held out the possibility of a ménage-àtrois rather than a divorce. Guillaume Bertier said: “It’s important to keep up ties with our English friends, especially in this time of Brexit. We will get the twinning back on track.”