They visited Weil am Rhein on the borders of Switzerland and France, close to Basle, on the other side of the River Rhein. After a short stay and an exchange of good wishes and hospitality, the English visitors moved on to Trebbin, south of Berlin.

Visits are usually planned for October, but this year it was moved forward to allow the Bognor Regis members to enjoy the German Garden Festival which covers 30 acres and has now become a permanent feature of Weil. Bognor Regis is represented among the many gardens featured including those from another town with which Weil is twinned.

The Garden Festival site had been created on a former gravel quarry and wasteland site, on the outskirts of the town. Described as the largest garden festival to be seen in Europe, the festival includes a wide variety of garden designs and features. Although an entry charges is currently being made, it will be open to the public next year without charge when the site becomes a public park. Many of the established gardens are expected to be retained.

The Bognor Regis garden is a contrast to the town gardens, as it features a beach scene, breakwater, a boat filled with flowers, deck chair, lobster pot and fishing nets.

Association chairman James Clevett said the 31 members who visited and stayed with host families were well received and catered for. Describing it as a very enjoyable visit, he said the Association were keen to express their thanks and gratitude to all of those involved.

Association members were welcomed at two receptions - one on arrival and another on departure. The Oberburgermeister Dr Willman welcomed the Bognor Regis visitors and the Weil Twinning Association hosted the farewell event. Other highlights of the visit included the trip to Lucern in Switzerland with a train ride up to the summit of Rigi Mountain with its magnificent views. The group also visited a vineyard for wine tasting, crossed the Rhine to the French town of Huningue and their famous chair museum. This town is also twinned with Weil. The visitors also joined in Swiss Festival across the Rhine in the neighbouring town of Basle.

Les pom-pom girls arrivaient tout droit de la ville anglaise de Bognor-Regis, jumelle de Saint-Maur

© James Clevett, 1999

The successful trip was followed by another twinning visit. This time the members visited the French twin town of St Maur des Fosses, when a kilometre of land stretching along the River Marne has been inaugurated as the Promanade des Englaise, as a tribute to England for liberating France in two World Wars. Members of the Regis Pom Pom Girls also visits the town especially to entertain at the inaugural event on the Promanade des Englaise.

A view of the Promanade des Englaise, Place St. Maur

© James Clevett, 1999

This is the second land mark the Town's members have seen. Last autumn St Maur named a Square after Bognor Regis.

Other visitors to the French town this year included a group who are taking part in Bognor Regis Adult Education. Many of them are already members of the Twinning Association, visited as part of a biannual exchange visit.

Students from the Felpham Community College and their families welcomed French visitors in July, and were to make a return to visit St Maur when their visitors returned home.

Plans are also under way to jointly celebrate the Millennium with a 20th anniversary twinning with St Maur. Exchange visits will be taking place between the two towns and local artists are being invited to join in an art exhibition in St Maur.

The Bognor Regis Twinning Association is open to anyone to join. The Association is self financing and its aims apart from being a social group are to help arrange the exchange of local organisations on a voluntary basis. Organisations and groups being encouraged to exchange include adult education, schools, sports clubs, chess and music groups - although they may not be members of the Association. Members are also willing to help local businesses liaise with businesses in twin towns.

Members of the twinning Association in Place St. Maur

© James Clevett. 1999

BOGNOR REGIS

Bognor Regis has been twinned with St Maur des Fosses in France since 1980 and with Weil am Rhein and Trebbin in Germany since 1987 and 12995 respectively. People of all ages have made lasting friendships with the people who live in these towns b y staying with families and returning their hospitality in their own homes.

These friendships have been started through youth and school exchanges, visits of adult education students, sports clubs, and cultural groups and on an individual basis. The Twinning Association aims to encourage friendships between the people of Bognor Regis and our twin towns and to promote cultural, sporting and commercial links.

ST MAUR des FOSSES

Situated on a bend in the River Marne, some 20 minutes by Express Metro (RER) from the centre of Paris, lies the town of St Maur des Fosses with a population of 80,000. Rich in history it was founded on a Roman camp protected by moats or Fosses. Over the centuries it grew in its importance from a small; village to a major retreat for the aristocracy of Paris. Today the movement is in the other direction as many St Mauriens work in the capital.

It is and has been the home of many painters and writers. There is little industry within the town itself. St Maur is made up of 7 smaller similar districts, each with its individual character, and most with their own market on a particular day.

The River Marne is used for water sports and the town has two thriving sports clubs the VGA and Stella. The Conservertoire National de Region produces top class musicians. There are pleasant walks along the River Marne and visits to Old Maur are encouraged for the more energetic. Within easy reach of Paris with its horse racing, zoo and Parc Floral, other tourists attractions including the Champagne area are also accessible.

WEIL am RHEIN

Visitors to this town are encouraged to take a passport with them - even when going for a walk. Situated in an area called "The Three Country Corner" because it is divided from Switzerland and France by the Rover Rhein, Weil has ancient origins but the decision to build railway marshalling yards with locomotive repair workshops changed the Weil from a village to a thriving town. Other industries include electronics, furniture manufacture, and textiles. Over 30,000 people live in the town and surrounding area. With excellent sporting facilities, the town has a water complex and ice rink, which draw visitors from France and Switzerland.

Famous for its wine this can be sampled in the local hostelries. The Vitra furniture factory also has it's own chair museum and the nearby historic city of Basel has a fine shopping centre and picturesque buildings. Nearby visitors can visit the Black Forest, Swiss Lakes and Alsace and Freiburg, an ancient university city. Weil offers visitors three cultures in one.

TREBBIN

Bognor Regis twinning with Trebbin followed the town's twinning with the German town of Weil. Arriving at a this small town is like going back in history to the turn of the Century. Since unification there has been considerable housing development with large out of town shopping complexes on the main road to Berlin. New shops and a modern hotel has been opened and the railway station is on the main line between Berlin and Munich. has a small aerodrome for light aircraft but hopes to expand this for businessmen not wanting to use the main Berlin airport for internal flights. Trebbin is surrounded by countryside and castles. The Charter signing to twin the two towns took place in October 1995. Since that time many friendships have been developed.

Membership application forms for the Bognor Regis Twinning Association are available from the Arun Tourist Information Centre in Place St Maur, Bognor Regis, West Sussex.