Welcome to Comberton Twinning Association

Our village of Comberton (near Cambridge, UK) is twinned with the village of Le Vaudreuil, near Rouen in France.

The twinning charter invokes bonds of friendship between the people of Comberton and of Le Vaudreuil through reciprocal visits, and says that the aim of the twinning is to develop co-operation and understanding between our two nations by fostering friendship between their people. It's also great fun, and educational!

We are actively seeking new members to join the twinning, particularly families with children. See membership details and contacts below.

Photos of Le Vaudreuil

Coronavirus and Covid-19

Given the coronavirus pandemic and Covid-19 lockdowm, most twinning events for 2020 and 2021 have been suspended (or gone virtual). The majority are hoped to be rescheduled for 2022.

Highlights

Annual visits to and from our twin village in France – Le Vaudreuil, near Rouen.
Speaking French is NOT a requirement, but it is a great opportunity to improve language skills.
The French came to Comberton 5-7 April 2019, and it is hoped will come again 27-29 May 2022 (postponed from 2020 by Covid)
We went there 20-22 September 2019 and celebrated 20 years of twinning.
Annual subscription only £10, under 16s free.
Fun social events such as a summer BBQ.
Make new friends locally, and in France.
Join the Entente Cordiale to overcome the Brexit blues!

Visits by the French

Spring 2019 - Despite Brexit, 37 French came to Comberton for 5-7 April 2019. As this was the 20th anniversary of the start of the twinning, there was a programme of activities including a tour of Cambridge with Blue Badge guides (in French and English), a commemoration lunch at Girton College on the Sunday, and a pot-luck supper with entertainment at the Village Hall on the Saturday.
Spring 2022 - The French planned to come to Comberton for 9-10 May 2020. This has been postponed to Spring 2022 (27-29 May). They confirmed in September 2021 that this was still planned.

Trips to France

Autumn 2019 Trip to France - 20-22 September 2019. We left by coach at 4pm, crossing by Eurotunnel shuttle, arriving by 11pm British time. The French provided a boat trip on the Seine in Rouen, a musical supper, and a lunch at the Golf. As well we had time doing our own thing with the French host families. We left at 3:30pm and returned by ferry. A good time was had by all.
Autumn 2022 Trip to France - We currently plan that the next major return trip by coach will be in Autumn 2022 (Covid delayed).
Smaller outing to France? - We were investigating doing a smaller-scale outing in Autumn, by minibus or shared cars, to coincide with a French social event - perhaps a literary stroll in the steps of Guy de Maupassant. They previously did "in the steps of Madame Bovary", and "In the steps of Victor Hugo". However this seems very unlikely due to Covid lockdown. Maybe another year, and in return we could do "In the steps of Rupert Brooke, and/or of Lord Byron" around Granchester!

Social Events

10 July 2021 - BBQ evening, again at Manor Farm. Thanks to Godfrey and Pauline for a pleasurable evening.
Wednesday 22nd September 2021 - AGM (hybrid meeting - in Village Hall and others virtual by Zoom).
November 2022 (postponed due to Covid) - Quiz evening at Village Hall - Teams to Peter Mitton please on 262073 (nearer the time).

Membership

Membership costs only £10, with under-16s joining free. Costs for exchange visits are low, as the hosts provide accommodation and most meals. In return there is an expectation that English families will host a French family for a future exchange visit. Please contact the chairman or secretary for more details, or to join.

Contacts

Chairman:	Paul Hardy - tel 263232, email chairman@combertontwinning.org.uk
Secretary:	Glynis Ellis - tel 262214, email secretary@combertontwinning.org.uk
Treasurer:	Amanda Bacon
Webmaster:	Paul Hardy - email to paul@paulhardy.net.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

See our page of Frequently Asked Questions, with answers.

More Photos of Le Vaudreuil and Exchanges

Click on any picture for bigger versions, and more photos.

Poster, Handout, and Presentation

A poster is available as a PDF file for printing, or as a JPG image. It is also available as a two on a page for an A5 handout.

A brief Powerpoint with 7 slides is available, also as a Powerpoint Show (PPS).

Governance

Health and Safety - The Association has a policy covering our general responsibilities for Health and Safety. (Health and Safety Policy). Note that we have no employees, so are not covered by UK Health and Safety at work legislation.
Equality and Diversity - The Twinning Association has a policy covering our responsibilities for Equality and Diversity (Equality and Diversity Policy).
Safeguarding - The Twinning Association has a policy covering safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults during twinning activities. (Safeguarding Policy).
Data Protection - The Twinning Association holds minimal personal data about its members, updated annually as part of membership. We have a Data Protection Policy which explains our holdings, procedures, and compliance with the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which came into force in May 2018, and as migrated following Brexit to become the UK GDPR in 2021.

History

See the History page for information on the club origins and on past events.

Miscellaneous News

Dill seeds - In April 2017 we received a batch of packets of dill herb seeds (Aneth du Vaudreuil) These were provided to asssociation members, with spares to pass on to neigbours or friends as publicity and as a symbol of the continued relationship between the two villages. There is available for download and printing a short A5 handout (in English).

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