John Polkinghorne charts the history of Stamford’s happy twinning with Vence,
a delightful hilltop town in the south of France

Thirty years ago on the 12 February 1978 a Charter joining the two towns together in an official twinning link was duly signed at a ‘Seals Ceremony’ by the towns mayors Mr Ian Allen and M. Jean Maret, in Stamford Town Hall. This was the culmination of intense pressure and six months of hard work and travelling by Cllr. Sonni Cloudesly-Seddon and Neale Johnson, the Association’s first chairman.

Why Vence? Well Sonni had relatives living in the area and when one considers its geographical location within 15 minutes of the Cote D’Azur and cheek by jowl with the likes of Nice, Cannes, Cap D’Antibes, Menton and Monaco plus all the sun, sea and sand that one could ask for, there was no other comparable location. Vence itself is a beautiful old walled hilltop town with a long and intriguing history and an amazing old world town centre with the busy bustle of its ever open stalls and shops.

The inaugural year

There was much twinning activity in Stamford in this inaugural year. Apart from the official signing of the charter there was a Town Hall reception, a church service and the meeting of various working parties to set future exchanges between the two towns. In April another visit by M. Maret and his colleagues saw the official naming of Stamford’s ‘Vence Walk’ and the planting of a commemorative tree on The Meadows. In support and providing High Street entertainment were the Brissados, a troupe of Vence girl dancers.

While this venture needed an official seal from the Councils it was never seen as a local government project but as a thing of the peoples of Stamford and Vence. Over these thirty years hundreds of citizens and their children have visited each other in their homes and built up lasting relationships between their families, some of which are actually as old as the twinning itself.

From the very beginning it was agreed that there would be alternating visits each year. On the odd year we would travel to Vence and on the even year they would be in Stamford. And this is how it still is. Things have changed however; travel was initially by bus and while it had its own charms the speed of air travel has eventually won out. Visitors to Vence have been shown an amazing number of the local tourist attractions ranging from the extraordinary Nice Electrical Energy plant to viewing the house of the Baron De Rothschild. Equally on their visits to Stamford they have not only got to know Burghley as if they owned it but have been as far afield as York and London and even participated in a guillotining ceremony on the Stamford Meadows.

Once family links have been set up the exchanges have not always taken place solely during the annual organised visits. On a regular basis families make their own separate arrangements and travel over at any time of the year and for as long as is mutually agreeable.

Nor are exchanges limited to only families. Over the years, groups of schoolchildren, artists, musicians, keep fit groups, footballers and even policemen have made the 1000km trip.

This year’s 30th celebrations

So after 30 years of existence between 10th and 16th July, we are all set to celebrate the fact this year in Stamford. On their arrival the French will be feted at a reception in the Town Hall where not only this year’s mayor will preside, but all the past mayors of the last 30 years will be invited. Much research has been done this year and we are inviting many of the past twinning members and the prime movers of the Association to attend.

The Rutland Belle has been hired for our visitors and will give them a trip around Rutland Water on the Friday, and in the evening Stamford Brass will be performing at the Queen Eleanor School together with musicians from that school and hopefully several French soloists. On the Saturday there will be a hog roast picnic which will include an international cricket match (Vence vs. Stamford) and the next day the full French Market will be in the High Street and twinners from both sides of the channel will be circulating and manning our Stall in traditional costumes.