Over the last twenty years or so, many new people have moved to Ramsgate and may not know about the towns we are twinned with:
- Our French twin town is Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a small town on the River Seine about 30 miles west of Paris.
- Our Belgian twin town is Chimay, a very attractive walled town in the south of Belgium, near the Ardennes.
- Our Danish twin town is Frederikssund, a charming town located on the eastern shore of Denmark's largest island, Zealand, about 25 miles northwest of Copenhagen.
Through these towns we also have contact with the German town of Hanau-Grossauheim, located on the banks of the River Main, just east of Frankfurt.
In the past, there have been many exchange visits between the twinning towns including Petanque and Boccia teams, archery groups, choirs, church groups, football matches and our friends from Chimay who have taken part in the Ramsgate Carnival. Twinning groups have also had stalls at events on Government Acre and in Ellington Park.
I would like to mention and thank all the former Mayors, Councillors and other Ramsgate residents who worked so hard to organise twinning events in the past. These included Denis Lefevre and his wife Barbara, Janet Dale, Steve and Trish Ward, Jackie and Barry Coppock, Liz and David Green, Mac Wilkinson, Trevor and Mandy Shonk, Pauline Arthur and Mary and Keith Watts.
The twinning calendar for 2025 for Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is already filling up.
In May, some of our twinning friends will be joining us when Ramsgate will commemorate 85 years since
Operation Dynamo, a daring rescue mission that changed the course of World War II. Every five years, Ramsgate remembers the iconic
Little Ships that played a vital role in the Dunkirk evacuation.
In June, Ramsgate residents will be off to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine to take part in the Pardon commemorations, which are held every year to honour those members of the inland waterways transport industry who aided the allies, and took wounded soldiers from the Somme down to Rouen so they could be evacuated to get “Back to Blighty”. Many brave barge people gave their lives in both world wars in the 20th century and are commemorated at the Pointil, the point where the River Oise enters the River Seine. This year three boats from Ramsgate are hoping to sail up the Seine to join the ceremony. Members of the Ramsgate Royal Navy Association and the Royal Air Force Association will be proudly carrying the new St. George’s Flag Standard partly funded by the Ramsgate Twinning Association.
In October, Conflans is holding its third Oktoberfest to which we are invited. Some of us may be wearing Victorian costumes!
If any local sports clubs, choirs, local history groups, theatre groups etc. are interested in linking up with groups in France or Belgium, or you are organising events in Ramsgate this summer to which our twinning friends could be invited, please contact:
terryfearn.rta@gmail.com
Please check our Ramsgate Twinning Association (RTA) Facebook page regularly for updates.
RTA would love to hear from you. French speakers would be particularly welcome!