BECCLES TWINNING ASSOCIATION » Beccles Twinning Association

With our counterparts, Les Amis du Jumelage, in Petit-Couronne, we are maintaining the permanent bonds of friendship between our Towns that were set up in 1978 by providing exchanges of all kinds for our inhabitants with the aim of fostering through greater understanding, peace and prosperity for all.

We are a group of volunteers working on behalf of Beccles Town Council. We are not a 'membership' organisation and are there to support and enable all those who live, work or are otherwise associated with Beccles, so why not contact us and join in some of our events which run throughout the year.

This year's committee appointed on the 14th June is now preparing for the Visit of our Friends from Petit-Couronne 22nd- 25th October 2022. New Hosts will be needed this year, so if you have a spare room and con provide Bed and Breakfast for 3 nights, please get in touch A.S.A.P. (or give Michelle a ring on 01502.470734) to have a chat about what is involved. We wil also be needing people to help with transport and catering on the Sunday night.

Contact us at: twinning.beccles@gmail.com for further information or to join our mailing list - the most reliable way to get the latest information, monthly by email.

We were delighted to have had so much support from our Friends in Petit-Couronne for the Jubilee bunting project and the Pop up cafe in the Library gardens on the 2nd June was a great success with all donations going towards the new Mayor's appeal - The Community Hub. Thank you to all who contributed cakes and helped in the preparation, and Morrisons for refreshments and the cake that was sent to thank our friends in Petit-Couronne

With restrictions now lifted, our set of Petanque boules is now available to be borrowed from the Harbour Master's office down at the Quay

French chat (all welcome) returned to the library late last year with a new start time of 9.30 - 10.30am, and will continue every other Saturday morning (next sessions 18th June, 2nd 16th July).

The mini exhibition of paintings in Beccles Libray last October has now ended but you can still see all the paintings as well as those from Petit-Couronne and Ahlem on the Virtual Art Exhibition link:

http://www.lesamisdujumelage.fr/EXPOJUM/Page1_ie.htm

Click on each painting or object and view full screen for information for each and contact if you would like us to put you in touch with any of the artists.

Meanwhile, here is some news of other (fairly) recent events:

Thanks to everyone who helped with our French Onion Soup' stall at last years Christmas 'Switch On' event in Beccles Town Centre. Once again a complete 'sell out' by 8.00pm. It was good to be back!.

Huge thanks to everyone who helped with and supported our Summer Fun event in 2021. It was 'Low Quay and Zero Waste'. Everything donated was either sold, consumed or donated to the Community Hub pop up shop in Blyburgate, now open Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and other times for workshops and special events

We were also delighted that after 8 months, we were able to ask Shelagh from the 3 Horseshoes in North Cove to award the 2020 Pumpkin competition certificate to 4 representatives of Clinks Farm on Thursday the 1st July 2021, and provide celebratory cups of tea after a fun game of Petanque

Here are some of the other innovative ways, that we kept the spirit of Twinning alive during the Covid pandemic:

This was our entry for the on-line: Hungate Christmas tree festival when we wished everyone:

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Nöel and Froëliche Weihnachten 'The Christmas Three' Celebrating Christmas Exchanges and Christmas Markets, since 2005, although for technical reasons we could not incorporate photos from our Christmas Market exchanges, you can click on the link on the Les amis du Jumelage Website and the Christmas Market tab to see hundreds of photos!

Many thanks to those who helped us to take part in the 2020 online Pumpkin festival which we shared with Les amis du Jumelage in Petit-Couronne, to see all their photos just click on the link.

Just pre covid: Huge thanks to our friends from Beccles Helping Hands for loaning their Skittle Alley for our first fund raising event of 2020 in February. 26 enthusiastic players of all ages, braved the elements for a fun evening of Skittles and Chips in Blyburgate Hall.

Please see below, a few pictures from 2019

The small group of young people from Beccles who joined the IV Couronnais '2019 October holiday club' in Petit-Couronne had a great time and although they were not able to retain the 'silver plate' for a 4th consecutive year, it will return next October when we will be competing in a different game!

Many thanks to Beccles Men's shed for donating a planter filled with english produce, given as a gift for our hosts and to the Becles Townlands charity trust for contributing towards the hire of the minibus

In 2019 we also welcomed 4 teenagers from Petit-Couronne to Beccles for their first visit, alongside the then deputy mayor of Petit-Couronne and the president of Les Amis du Jumelage, they stayed for 4 days and all helped us to 'swim the channel' on Sunday July 14th

And we did it - 32K in 1 hour and 17minutes and went on to swim a grand total of 56K! With over £945 being raised which was split between the Lido and the twinning Association

Thank you to everyone who helped with the arrival and sale of Amities Ale at the 2019 Beccles Food and Drink Festival in May, especially Beccles Helping Hands, the Beccles Beer Festival team and the Countess of Light.

A great collaborative effort

Our 'Cake stall' in Exchange square on the 13th April. was also a great sucess, with a total of £141.22p being collected.

Thanks to all who made and bought cakes and especially the organisers for all their hard work ,

And everyone who helped make and sell our 'sell out' French Onion Soup at the 2019 Switch-on event in Beccles - We will make more next year!

Additional photos taken by our friends in Petit-Couronne from time to time and can be seen on their website (by clicking on the 'Les Amis du Jumelage' text at the top of the page).