Sixteen people journeyed to Abergavenny’s twin town of Beaupréau in August to join in the thirtieth anniversary celebrations of the French town’s twinning with Munsingen in Germany.

Whilst some enjoyed a restful day on the Friday others visited the Puy du Fou theme park near Cholet.

Saturday morning saw the official inauguration of the Esplanade Munsingen and the unveiling of a signpost showing the distance and direction of both Munsingen and Abergavenny from Beaupréau. The Esplanade is a short walk from Place d’Abergavenny which was opened in 1998.

Some then visited the racecourse to watch the races, flat and trotting.

Sunday morning there was an ecumenical church service at L’Eglise Notre-Dame followed by lunch and a quiet afternoon with host families.

In the evening all sixteen travellers mingled with 320 Germans and many more French for a meal in the Salle de Sporting - and there were performances by Munsingen atheletes, choirs and a band.

Gill Crane gave a stirring rendering of the Welsh national anthem supported by her fellow travellers and Dee-Arn Holzl sang two songs, one in English and one in French with her own guitar accompaniment. The evening was brought to a close with a fantastic firework display.

Before making the journey home on Monday there was an opportunity to visit the Petite Angevine, the largest one day fair in France, with colourful stalls spread right across the racecourse, including many agricultural and commercial exhibits, animal judging and a traditional fair for the children.

Each year Munsingen bring their own beer tanker and band to add to the festivities.

In two to three years time it will be Abergavenny’s turn to celebrate the 30th twinning anniversary and there’s clearly much to do to match the hospitality shown by the association’s hosts in Beaupréau.

For more details of the Abergavenny Beaupréau Twinning Association contact Annette Davis on 01873 856557 or Ian Vicary 01873 854929.