TO tell this story we must begin with a holiday to France taken by Mr John Cowler and his wife.

John was a teacher of French at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School and while on holiday was enjoying a visit to the Jardin des Plants in Avranches, Normandy.

Also in the gardens was a Frenchman called Mr D’Orleans and his wife and they started a conversation. It became clear that the two men had something in common as Monsieur D’Orleans was also a teacher who taught English at the College Challemel Lacour in Avranches.

The result was that the two men thought it would be a good idea if they could arrange an exchange of students so each could experience at first-hand the other’s language being spoken.

These exchanges started around 1968 with just a small number of students and for the next 25 years or more there were annual exchanges between the two schools with increasing numbers of students involved.

Mrs Sally McClelland was overseeing the exchanges from QE until in 1997 she moved to another School in Tiverton after which the exchanges ceased and "French Residential" stays at Chateau Beaumont in the Mayenne area of France started.

In recent years the exchanges between QE and Challemel Lacour have restarted, overseen by Mrs Jocelyne Whittaker of QE.

Sadly Monsieur D’Orleans died some years ago and John Cowler passed away on May 13, 2020 age 94 years.

A public meeting in Crediton was arranged in 1989 by the Rotary Club of Crediton to see what interest there was in a Twinning between Crediton and a French Town.

The Rotary Club was looking to twin with a French Rotary Club and thought it should see if there was a wider interest in the town for a twinning.

The meeting was very well attended and resulted in a decision, following a view from Mr Stephen Berridge, a Teacher (of French) at QE, to see if Avranches was interested in a twinning with Crediton. Peter and Valerie Brewer had a holiday to Northern France planned via Brittany Ferries and agreed to make a polite enquiry in Avranches.

On visiting the Tourist Office in Avranches, Peter began explaining the purpose of their visit to the young lady there, who immediately responded with: "I know Crediton; I have visited there with my school".

Meetings with the President of the Twinning Commission and then the Mayor were arranged which resulted in an agreement to see if "we like each other", with a view to a formal twinning in due course. This was reported back to a second public meeting and the Crediton Twinning Association was formed.

Following some informal and then formal visits between the two towns, which proved very successful, a Twinning Charter was signed April 1993 in the Boniface Centre on the occasion of Crediton Town Council end-of-year Reception.

The Council Chairman, Mrs Francine Richer, and Twinning Association Chairman, Peter Brewer, signed on behalf of Crediton and Monsieur André Bazin, President of the Avranches Twinning Commission, signed on behalf of Avranches.

In October, later in the year, at a ceremony in Avranches, the French version of the Charter was signed by Monsieur René André, Mayor of Avranches and again by André Bazin with Jenni Pitts, Town Council Chairman, and Peter Brewer signing on behalf of Crediton.

Since the start of our Twinning, each Town has named a Road after their Twin Town with Avranches Avenue in Crediton and Rue de Crediton in Avranches.

There have been numerous exchanges between both communities and this has included various groups. Examples of these groups are the: Crediton Scouts, Crediton Rugby Club, Crediton Youth Football Club, the choir of Crediton Parish Church (twice), golfers, Tapestry group, an exhibition of photographs by the respective Camera Clubs and Crediton and District Swimming Club (five times there and three times here).

Social events play an important part in the life of the Association as well as fundraising to pay for hosting our guests from Avranches.

These include curry evenings, barbecues, an annual dinner, car treasure hunts, skittles evening, annual boules tournament and the very popular wine tasting events.

The Association is 31 years-old this year and long may it continue to flourish.

Thank you Monsieur D’Orleans and Mr John Cowler.

Peter Brewer