MALVERN is celebrating seven years of friendship with its twinned French town of Bagneres de Bigorree located in the foothills of the Pyrenees.
The occasion was marked when residents of the French spa town visited Malvern to explore the history and culture of the town, with each visitor being looked after by their own local host.
A reception was given by the mayor of Malvern, Councillor Clive Hooper at Elmslie House before the residents of Bagneres de Bigorree began their busy schedule around Malvern.
The first full day started with a trip to the Morgan car manufacturer’s factory, before visiting the birthplace of Edward Elgar (The Firs), then onto Stocks Farm and Hop Shed and finishing off the day with a social gathering at the Mount Pleasant Hotel.
Day two entailed a guided tour of Malvern, a visit to the Priory and Farmers’ Market, a trip to Hellen’s House all topped of with an evening barbecue at one of the Malvern hosts’ homes.
The weekend was then rounded off with a visit to Stratford on the last day.
When welcoming the French visitors Coun Hooper said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to greet everyone, and I must express my gratitude for the incredible hospitality which has been shown to Malvern participants on each of their visits to Bagneres, both at civic and indivdual levels.
“It is hoped that this can be reciprocated on this visit to Malvern.”
The Mayor also thanked the Malvern hosts for their hospitality towards their twinned counterparts, and paid a particular tribute to former mayor and councillor, Cynthia Palmer who spearheaded the twinning town programme in 2016.
Since the signing of the official twinning agreement between the two towns, around 200 people including schoolchildren, young rugby players, teachers, coaches and those of retirement age all benefiting from the towns exchanges and exploring the history and culture of either town.
