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The idea of a twin town for Hythe & Dibden started in
the mid 1980s with various individuals and groups showing an interest
in twinning with a town in France.
Both the residents of the Hythe Marina
Village and the Hythe & Dibden Community Association felt that there
might be some merit in the idea and that it warranted further investigation.
The location of a suitable town in France was very difficult, though some
were found, but as further investigations were made the interest from
the Marina waned and it transpired that really all they wanted was the
possibility of using the marina facilities of the town in France and not
the development of any other formal or informal links.
With limited interest
the concept passed into a quiet watching brief. March 1989 saw the subject
discussed in general at the Annual Parish Meeting and inquiries from three
towns in France towards the end of the year ensured that the matter was
again discussed at the following Annual Parish Meeting.
This resulted
in an agreement that the Parish Council would call a public meeting to
see if there was sufficient interest within the Parish in developing twinning
links with any of the three or with somewhere else.
Of the three towns concerned one was on the Franco-Belgian
border, one on the Lower Loire and one was a fairly large town on the
outskirts of Paris. Interim assessment of the three possibilities demonstrated
that two of them were not really suitable but the third and most suitable
was a small town called Mauves-sur Loire, near Nantes and contact with
them was maintained in a general manner. There was an unfortunate delay
in calling the public meeting and it did not actually take place until
Monday, 11th February 1991.
At this meeting a talk on twinning was given by members
of the Totton & Eling Twinning Association. After the subsequent questions
and discussion it was decided to go ahead and a Steering Committee was
set up to look into the possibility of twinning Hythe and Dibden with
a town in France. As we already had contact with Mauves it was also decided
that we would initially look at that town to see if it might be a practical
twin. As Mauves was close to Le Loroux Bottereau, the twin town of Totton,
and as a visit had been arranged by Totton to visit their twin at Easter
1991 it was agreed that members of the Steering Committee should accompany
them and visit Mauves.
The initial visit was very successful. The people in Mauves
extended a great hand of friendship to their visitors and the weekend
flew by. The Committee members were very sad to leave being greatly impressed
by the kindness of the Malviens and the delightfulness of the town and
its surrounding countryside.
The following August a visit was organised
in the opposite direction in order for the members of the Mauves' Exchange
Group to see for themselves what a delightful place Hythe and Dibden was.
October again saw a small group from Hythe and Dibden in
Mauves to attend their annual arts festival; the Automnales. The festival,
which encompasses music in all forms, theatre and a painting competition,
was the inspiration for the later Waterside Arts Festival.
As all the auguries looked favourable it was decided to
continue with the development of links between the two towns and at the
Annual General Meeting of the Steering Committee, held on the 6th March
1992, a formal constitution was adopted and the Steering Group became
the Hythe and Dibden Twinning Association.
Over the following two years there were further successful
visits by members in both directions including both in 1992 and 1994 the
entry of a local under fifteen football team in an international competition
held in Mauves and Le Cellier the next town. With 12 French teams and
7 other teams from various European countries including Russia our boys
were able to enjoy a truly international competition.
Early in 1994 it was agreed after consultation with our
Malvien counterparts to seek the agreement of our respective Councils
to a full twinning agreement. This was forthcoming and the agreement was
signed in Mauves at Easter of that year by the Chairmen of Hythe and Dibden
Parish Council, The Mayor of Mauves-sur-Loire and the Chairmen of the
respective Twinning Associations.
A Reciprocal signing was made here in
Hythe at Easter the following year. The two documents are now proudly
displayed in the Council Chambers in the two towns.
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