Bien! Town celebrates milestone twinning anniversary
CARMARTHEN is celebrating its 40th twinning anniversary with the northern French town of Lesneven.
A delegation from the town in Brittany visited Carmarthen earlier this month.
Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, chair of the Carmarthen Twinning Association said: “Established in 1982, the link between the two towns was re-set after being unable to visit each other during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Over the years exchanges have developed between a wide range of societies, clubs, schools, choirs, families and individuals, and the comings and goings between the two towns has been such a success.”
When he was mayor of Carmarthen in 1982 Cllr Hughes Griffiths arranged a twinning ceremony at the Guildhall and guests meet up to re-enact the original declaration during their September visit.
Cllr Griffiths added: “The weekend to welcome the Bretons from our twin town Lesneven was a great success.
Due to Covid it was the first time back after a two year break in our exchanges.
“They were able to take part in the Urdd Grand Parade through Carmarthen as part of proclaiming that next year’s Urdd National Eisteddfod will be in Carmarthenshire, at Llandovery.
“The Bretons were proud to carry their national flags as part of the procession and later joined in the Jamboree held in Carmarthen Park.”
The Forty Years of Twinning exhibition has also opened at Carmarthen Library which runs until October 5 for the public to view it. It shows the links and exchanges that have been made between Carmarthen and Lesneven in so many aspects of every day life.
A ceremony was also held at the former Crown Court at the Guildhall where the original Twinning Ceremony was held in April 1982.
Carmarthen deputy mayor Cllr Wyn opened the proceedings and extended the Bretons a warm welcome.
During the evening, Malcolm Jones read out the charter as agreed between the two towns, he was the Carmarthen Twinning Secretary that read out the same Charter in the original ceremony.
The guest speaker was the well known poet and TV presenter Aneirin Karadog, who addressed the ceremony in Welsh and Breton, in English and French - the four official languages of the twinning.
Cllr Thomas presented a cultural map of Wales to be forwarded to the mayor of Lesneven and Cllr Griffiths presented an inscribed Welsh Slate to Yann Iestyn the Chair of the Lesneven Twinning Committee.
Entertainment was provided by Cor Seingar, a Carmarthen based choir and the ceremony was followed by a Twinning Supper at St Peters’ Civic Hall where a special birthday cake to celebrate 40 years of twinning between the two town was cut by both chairs of the twinning committees.
On the Sunday morning of their visit, the Bretons went to the Mayor’s Parlour at St Peter’s Civic Hall and signed the visitors book.
They also extended a warm welcome in May of next year to the people of Carmarthen to visit Lesneven.