Denton Town Twinning

Denton twinned with Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France

Founder Member
Mr Frederick Elms

President
Councillor Margaret Downs

Chairman
Mr Gavin Childs

Secretary
Angela Taylor, 70 Mellington Avenue, East Didsbury, M20 5NH
+44 (0)161 445 6367 amtaylor@uwclub.net

Treasurer
Diane Roache, 93 York Road, Denton M34 3HH

 Bienvenue à Tameside

The month of May saw the arrival of four French students from the Lycée René Descartes in Montigny. They have taken up work placements, each lasting four weeks, in departments of the council here in Tameside. While on placement the students will undertake a wide range of administrative tasks and when they return home they will be expected to prepare a report on their experiences. Their reports, which will be supported by their employers here in Tameside, will be taken into consideration when they are awarded their final course marks.

This is their first visit to England so naturally when we met them at the airport on the 18th May they were excited but also a little nervous at the prospect of working here. The main question they must have been asking themselves was “is my English good enough?” I don’t think that they have much to worry about.

The visit has been organised by Alan Marrow one of our members in conjunction with Tameside Council. We thank him for his hard work and our council for making this learning opportunity possible.

Thank you Tameside

Brian Booth from Denton Twinning Association met 35 students and 4 teachers from the Lycée Emilie Breteuil on Tuesday 12th May. The group, who had travelled from Montigny by coach, spent five full days in Tameside. During the day they visited Audenshaw School where they spent half a day taking part in school activities. After lunch at McDonalds they were taken to the Park Bridge museum where they were surprised to read that it was here that the rivets for the Eifel Tower were made. Later in the afternoon the party met the Mayor of Tameside Councillor Jack Davies in his parlour in Ashton and after tea they were given a guided tour of the Town Hall. 

Before returning to their hostel the students went out around the centre of Ashton to meet the citizens of the town and to complete a random survey which they had prepared as part of a project that they had come to research. They were in fact taking part in an organised study visit which among other things involved a comparison of the manufacture and consumption of alcoholic drinks and the English person’s views of hunting and blood sports. The students had a full programme including a trip to a nature reserve near Rochdale and a visit to Hyde’s Brewery in Moss Side. After spending Saturday in the company of local students they returned to France on Sunday.

Strengthening Links

On Thursday 30th April the Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Jack Davies, met with a group of students from the Lycée Renée Descartes in Montigny. The students and their teachers were visiting Tameside for the purpose of strengthening links with two of the borough’s colleges, Ashton 6th Form College and All Saints, Dukinfield. Whilst in Tameside they worked with students from both colleges and visited Manchester City’s stadium, the Portland Basin Museum and Satanti. They were also taken on a guided tour of Manchester.

The students were very impressed with the stadium and delighted at being given the opportunity to walk out onto the pitch. It is surprising how much the boys, in particular, know about football in the U.K.

Introducing five modern apprentices

In April the Mayor of Tameside (Cllr Jack Davies) met with Michèle Parent (Deputy Mayor of Montigny), Christine Garnier (Montigny Municipal Councillor), Alan Marrow (Economic Development Unit) and the five modern apprentices from Tameside Council who will be going to Montigny later in the year to work in la mairie.

After formal introductions the group retired to the mayor’s parlour where the apprentices were given an opportunity to discuss their placements with the Deputy Mayor of Montigny, Michèle Parent. Madame Parent reassured the apprentices that she would do her upmost to find them suitable placements and to make their stay in Montigny a pleasant one.

Performing Arts Project is cancelled

After working for six months to set up a performing arts project involving students from five other European countries (to be hosted by young persons in Tameside) and with funding virtually secured, the Twinning Association has been forced to cancel the project owing to lack of interest among the young people in the Borough.

Do we really have to stay with a French family?

Of course there are many differences between the ‘Brits’ and the French and for that matter amongst people from other countries which is the main reason why so many people find it interesting to travel abroad. One of the main differences that we at the association experience regularly is the conservative nature of the average person here in Britain. Young persons and grown ups alike frequently say that they would prefer not to host a French visitor or, when they themselves are contemplating a trip to our twin town, they say that they would prefer to provide their own accommodation. By contrast we are constantly amazed by the number of families in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, our twin town, who readily volunteer to host a visitor from England and indeed from other countries.

Does this mean that the French are more hospitable? Not necessarily. When families over here are persuaded to host visitors from our twin town they are generally very kind and generous and indeed their French hosts speak highly of British hospitality. However the majority of our French friends certainly do take hospitality very seriously, almost as a point of honour.

A group of nine students from Ashton 6th Form College visited Montigny in March for work experience. They were accompanied by one of our members, Dave Hiles, who is a lecturer at the college. The visit was funded by Leonardo da Vinci, a European Funding Organisation.

Lauren, one of the students, became the subject of an article in the L’ignymontain, the local paper in Montigny which printed a feature article describing the visit, Lauren’s job at an enterprise called Avnet, and her relationship with her host family.

One of the facts that one picks up on when one is reading the article is the amount of support that Lauren received from her host family, whether at work or in her leisure hours, and it demonstrates clearly the extent to which our French friends are prepared to put themselves out to accommodate and to help visitors.

It is likely that there will be an increasing number of opportunities especially for young people to broaden their education or work experience by visiting our twin town and I urge them not to let good old British reserve act as a barrier.

Web Author
Brian Booth, 86 Lynwood Grove, Audenshaw, Manchester, M34 5TE
0161 370 4113 0161 370 4113  brianbooth@ntlworld.com

For information on other Twinning Associations around the UK log on to www.towntwinning.org.uk

For more information on Montigny go to www.montigny78.fr