MITRY-MORY CHRISTMAS MARKET
In December, a group from Prudhoe travelled over to France to take part in the Christmas Market. As usual we set up our stall with local handicrafts, home-made items such as marmalade and cake, and plenty of printed information and posters to promote tourism in Northumberland. The markets are always hard work (on the Sunday we set up at 8.30am and finish at 5.30pm) but they are a wonderful opportunity to meet up with old friends and catch up with Mitry's news - and also to meet new people. Here are a few photos from a very good weekend.
Dave Herdman, our display specialist.
Saturday afternoon in the Old Town - shown above are Brian Lawson, Irène Vasseur, Jane Gillespie
Fruit cake and marmalade always sell well - but below are pictures of some of the other original handicraft work that we sold. Our thanks to everyone who contributed goods for sale.
Sunday, and we were in the open air in the New Town. Group photo below... From left to right - Moira Wooldridge, Denise France, Irène Vasseur, Brian Lawson, Derek Gillespie, Jane Gillespie, Shona Gillespie, David Herdman.
To everyone's delight, the very big doll on the Tombola stall was won by a very small girl.
In France, Christmas means Champagne...
... and foie gras...
Sunday lunch time, and everyone meets up at the Moroccan restaurant.
Meanwhile the Arnaud Challenge Road Race was taking place. Sadly, because of our lunch invitation, none of us could compete. But our French friends are very keen to have English entrants one year. The race is run over a 7.5 km course around the town, and is part of the town's Christmas festivities.
So please, next year, can we send over some athletes???
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FRENCH VISIT TO PRUDHOE OCTOBER 2006
A group of Twinning representatives and Councillors, led by Mayor Corinne Dupont and Irène Vasseur, President of Mitry-Mory Town Twinning Committee, made the traditional autumn visit to Prudhoe over the weekend 28/29 October. These visits are always a mixture of social events and serious business. We were lucky with the weather this time - despite a dreadful forecast, Corinne's first visit took place in glorious sunshine with clear blue skies. Prudhoe's Mayor Coun. Eileen Burt took her to Holy Island, and showed her around our town.
Mme Corinne Dupont, Mayor of Mitry-Mory, and Coun. Mrs Eileen Burt, Mayor of Prudhoe, on Holy Island. ('Dans le vent' - it was pointed out that in French 'in the wind' means 'fashionable'.)
On the Saturday we enjoyed an excellent evening at Franco's Restaurant - great food, plus warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Old friends: Tony Reid with Jean-Pierre & Françoise Bontoux
More old friends: Dave Shaw and Jean-Pierre Bontoux enjoying a joke.
Moira Wooldridge (PTTA), Corinne Dupont (Mayor of Mitry-Mory), Eileen Burt (Mayor of Prudhoe), Irène Vasseur (President, Mitry-Mory Twinning Committee)
Vincent Gautheron with Tarta Fantastica.
(Can we put in a spot of advertising for Franco's fantastic desserts???!!!)
On Sunday, we all met up at Prudhoe Golf Club for a business meeting followed by traditional Sunday roast.
2007 will mark the 25th anniversary of our Twinning Charter. Both towns feel that it is too soon after the 20th anniversary celebrations for a similar large-scale event, but we are hoping to see visits each way, the dates still to be finalised.
Other plans discussed for next year include exchanges of musicians, dancers, crafts people, swimmers, footballers and cyclists. Prudhoe Community Band are hoping to host a visit by l'Harmonie Municipale de Mitry-Mory; plus, we are looking at adult pen-friendships and hiking visits.
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PRUDHOE COMMUNITY BAND
Visit to Mitry-Mory 23-26 June 2006
Members of Prudhoe Community Band, led by Jill Walker, visited Mitry-Mory in June and were hosted by the town's Harmonie Municipale. The two bands performed twice in the open air, under the baton of the Harmonie's Musical Director Daniel Gourmand.
Other highlights of the trip included a day in Paris, a shared picnic supper, and visits to the Aviation Museum at Le Bourget, Mitry-Mory's own Visual Arts Centre, and the Val d'Europe shopping centre.
Below are a few moments (some serious, some less than...) from a wonderful weekend.
Thanks to Rosie & Phil Howie for use of some of their pictures.
Saturday: Paris... sunshine... ice cream...
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Saturday evening at the drop-in centre in the Orangerie district of Mitry-le-Neuf.
Daniel Gourmand, Musical Director of l'Harmonie Municipale de Mitry-Mory
And later the same evening...
Phil Howie preparing for the ritual rendition of the Blaydon Races
Prudhoe Community Band presented Daniel with a picture of the Millennium Bridge...
...and received books on the history of Concorde (another little Anglo-French joint venture).
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Sunday morning means Villeparisis market...
Sunday afternoon: Children's Day was celebrated in the Parc de Sevran, just a few km West of Mitry-Mory...
... with a brilliant children's entertainer...
...who managed to keep Baptiste standing still for at least 30 seconds.
The two bands performed together again...
...while younger siblings provided their own choreography...
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Monday: the Mitry-Mory Cultural Centre caters for children of all ages...
... and all tastes...
And finally...
Georgina, trying and failing to look inconspicuous
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