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CHAPELLIAN FESTIVITIES 1989 - 2019 ’Armentières - le d Bi 2019. el rch p in ha g C to a n 30 YEARS OF TWINNING L EDITION SPECIAL SPECIAL 30 ans EDITORIAL at first, and who made me share her 30 YEARS OF TWINNING enthusiasm. I have to remind you that she was at the origin of the teaching Introduction common destiny? This is what this of English in our town, that she largely short paper is about. It will remain La Chapelle d’Armentières and contributed to the organisation of as a souvenir of these two festive Birchington on Sea are celebrating the election of the Damoiselle, that weekends of celebration, on May their 30-year-old friendship and she provided the entertainment at 18-19 in La Chapelle d’Armentières, shared destiny in May and June this and on June 22-23 in Birchington. the election nights…. After Gérard year. But how did it all begin? What Seguin, she was President of the is a twinning, by the way? And what twinning committee for more than 10 have been the decisive steps towards years. this friendship and henceforth Thirty years already! This long At the time, twinning meant having adventure, witness to the desire families hosting one another, it of two communities to know each meant the beginning of long-lasting other better, to share a common friendships … Why did La Chapelle d’Armentières choose an English town, past in the fight for peace, to hope But then, in spite of memorable and why Birchington-on-Sea in particular? for better perspectives for the future festive events, collective enthusiasm generations, has known its ups and faded away! downs, but perseverance on both I am convinced that this commemo- sides of the Channel has allowed it to ration is the opportunity for a new live on. I pay tribute to the people of start, a renewal which is now carried La Chapelle and of Birchington who out by the people of IACCA who are have successively maintained this driven by the desire that –lastingly beautiful ideal. and forcefully - LONG LIVE THE I have often been honoured, as first TWINNING !!! president of the twinning committee, then as Mayor. But I cannot avoid Bernard Coisne mentioning the importance of the Mayor of La Chapelle d’Armentières work performed by my wife Christine, a distinguished English speaker, who helped me get in touch unofficially WHAT IS A TOWN TWINNING? friendly atmosphere. It is : • A political contract between two Choosing an English town was not the choice of twinning a town in local communities The Council of European Munici- palities and Regions (CEMR) is deliberate at the very beginning! Great Britain: The British Consul • With no time limit General, Mr Hendrie, used to live in • A multi-field range of action at the origin of a vast movement There was first of all simply the of twinning municipalities, those our town, next door to the current • Direct participation of citizens idea of twinning our town. Indeed, town hall. Thanks to the excellent • A means of raising awareness basic cells of democracy, where in the 70s, thanks to its important the apprenticeship of European relationship between him and M. • A means of initiating mobility industrial estate next to the M25, our Coisne, there was then an excellent • A framework for action and citizenship can be made. Being town undertook a profound change. open to our neighbours, discovering opportunity to twin with an English international projects So far, it had been seen as a big rather than a German town. • A space for exchanging our differences, but also whatever village, but it started growing and it experiences and opinions we have in common, debating over turned into a small town. More and And therefore things developed • A source of learning the solutions that can be given more new houses were built, there quickly under the impulsion of M. to the similar problems that we was a young growing population Coisne. may encounter in our towns and and the council at the time started - In November 1987, an information This approach can be applied villages, and thus realising the to create new public equipments to file on our town was sent to the everywhere, whatever the culture interest of exchanging experiences, adapt to this transformation (sports Consul General in Lille. or organisation of each partner. The learning the language of others, centres, schools, etc). specificity of this type of partnership in order to better understand - In February 1988, the CEMR took In the 80s, investing in these probably lies in its “general public” their culture, their mentality, our request into account dimension allowing everyone to their history, in order to cultivate equipments, however necessary, participate without any particular friendship and thus abolish hatred appeared to be insufficient. To - On March 1988 The Council ratified prerequisite from their own usual and misunderstanding, in order to meet the requirements of the the decision to twin our town with environment (family, school, highlight the sense of belonging to population, we had to invest in a British town immaterial things, in new activities. association, profession). the same community, the European On September 30, 1988, The Council This is when M. Francis Vangasse, a community, this is what twinning was informed of the contacts with Twinning towns then give the young and newly elected councillor towns are about! the town of Birchington, near opportunity to mix populations in in charge of new town projects, Margate, established by the French a climate of mutual trust and a suggested twinning our town with section of the CEMR. Consequently, another European town of identical it signed the European charter for importance and demography, as 1 equality of women and men in local was already done in many other life. It officially approved of the municipalities in France and in choice of Birchington, and agreed to particular, in the neighbouring establish the first contacts in order towns of Armentières, Pérenchies, to pronounce the twinning oath in Houplines, Steenwerk, … an official ceremony. The twinning The idea was immediately supported with the town of Birchington had by the whole municipal council, become reality! more especially by M. Bernard Coisne, a young councillor at the time. As soon as 1987, the first necessary administrative contacts with the qualified authorities (CEMR = council of European municipa- lities) were initiated. One element was determinant in 30 YEARS OF TWINNING! 1 OUR MAYOR, M. BERNARD COISNE, IS 30 ANS DE OFFERING A PRESENT TO MR JOHN NADEN, A “BOBBY”, IN THE PRESENCE OF M. SKULI, POLICE COMMISSIONER IN ARMENTIÈRES, AND OF M. JEAN CLAUDE GRISON, CHIEF OF JUMELAGE POLICE IN LA CHAPELLE D’ARMENTIÈRES PRESENTATION OF CITIES 2 Presentation of the town of all the leisure activities, all the 3 equipments of a modern town that La Chapelle d’Armentières evolves constantly and steadily. WW1 was devastating for our town, the six British cemeteries on its typically charming English town. a municipality by our standards, territory are still a proof of it, and it Presentation of with a Mayor and a Council, with an There is also a beautiful private was not until 1960 that it regained autonomous budget and a power Birchington-on-Sea museum “Quex museum”, on the 2 of initiative (even if it is tending to its former population. 5 green bower of Quex Park. This be more restricted now with us). The Route Nationale CD933 and the Birchington on Sea, the biggest museum was created by Major village in Kent, is located on the Birchington-on-Sea is adminis- M25 cross the town, which makes it Powell-Cotton who was an explorer, tratively attached to the town of an important transit town between Isle of Thanet, in north east Kent. a collector, a hunter and conserva- 3 Margate, and its council, the Parish the Flanders region and Lille, 15 It is easily accessible with the tionist. You can find a large number A256 from Folkestone (Channel Council, performs a function of kms away. It thus offers excellent of naturalised animals and African representation with the district of Tunnel) or Dover (Ferry Terminal). 6 road links, on top of the railway art objects there. Margate where they have several connections with the station in The town and its surroundings British town institutions differ district councillors. Armentières. have been occupied territory since pre historical times. It is a most from ours and Birchington is not La Chapelle d’Armentières is a charming seaside resort on the “town in the country” which has North Sea. It has 14,000 inhabitants 4 managed to preserve its quality of and is nestled around the square, in life, its rural life. These past ten front of the parish church that dates years it has developed mainly along back to the 12th century, and next to the Route Nationale and more some welcoming pubs. 4 recently in the district of La Choque. And its population has grown from With its long and beautiful walk 5,000 inhabitants in 1970 to nearly along the seaside, with its parks, 9,000 inhabitants today, while with very few high buildings but preserving a balance between town lots of individual houses clustered and country. around the town centre, with Station road, the main street and The town offers all the services, its numerous small shops, it is a 5 6 7 8 The beginning of the twinning - Assistant secretary: Mrs Dassonneville As soon as the decision of twinning our town with Birchington was made by the council, a twinning committee The initial contact between the was created and implemented, with official people of each town 18 members and the following took place on January 8 1989 board: in Birchington, and the French delegation was heartily welcomed - Honorary Chairman: Mr Henri by Mr Derek Raven, both chairman Bouchery, Mayor and founding president of the - Chairman: Mr Coisne twinning committee.

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