Fears for future of twinning
Wednesday 25th April 2007, 5:43AM BST.
Fears have been raised about the future of a long-standing cross-Channel friendship group.
Oswestry’s Twinning Association needs more young blood to keep its 25-year-old traditions alive in the town. Membership is falling and, with the average age now about 60, there are fears numbers will fall still further.
A membership drive has now been launched.
Oswestry was twinned with Combs-la-Ville, a town near Paris, 26 years ago.
Each year members of the Oswestry association and its French twin take it in turn to cross the Channel on a visit. This year 30 Oswestry twinners – 14 fewer than two years ago – will travel to France for five days in May.
Peter Carkeet-James, association spokesman, told the annual Oswestry town meeting yesterday the association has tried to encourage schools to get involved in twinning and said The Marches School & Technology College and Oswestry School had been helpful.
“Unfortunately Oswestry School is not able to become involved in our visit this year because it has its 600th anniversary celebrations,” he said.
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Maybe he could ask the primary schools. I started learning French with Glynn Phelps at the National School in Oswestry in the 1960′s and it changed my life. It was brilliant! If modern primary schools are being encouraged to teach languages, going on the twinning trip might spark interest.
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