We'd love you to come and join us.

Language

The thing that bothers many people when they first consider joining a twinning association is the language 'barrier'. Don't see it as a problem, see it as an opportunity to try out your own language skills and develop them. There is nothing like being immersed in the language and culture to help improve your own language skills. You don't, of course, need to be able to speak either French or German to be a member of the Twinning Association. Many or our hosts are delighted to be able to improve their own English and, to be honest, half the fun is trying to understand each other! Both we in Kirkham and our fellow 'twinners' try very hard to place people with the language skills appropriate to their own abilities. If you are not very confident in the language we'll do our best to place you with a family who speak good English, and vice versa.

                     You can be sure of a warm welcome which ever country you decide to visit.

Friendships

Most of the members who have been in the Twinning Association for a while now consider among their best friends the friends they have met in both countries and visit each other for holidays outside the 'formal' twinning meetings. You certainly have some un-forgettable experiences, wine tasting in the chateaux of the Loire valley, picnics on the banks of the Loire, concerts in magnificent Bavarian 'stately homes' and listening to a traditional Bavarian 'um-pah' band with a beer in one hand and admiring the the mountains in the background.                                                                        

                                                                         Wonderful!

Funding

Our activities are not, as some people seem to think, just an excuse for the local dignitaries to go on these trips for free holidays at the local's and tax-payer's expense. We actually get very little funding, if any, from the local authorities to fund the more 'official' aspects of visits here, welcoming representatives from the twin towns. Consequently we fund all our activities out of our own pockets, and in the end its just friends going to stay with friends and sharing their experiences.

                                               So come and join us and share those experiences!

Help with getting there, accommodation etc

Whist it is obviously possible to go to these towns for a long weekend, many 'twinners' combine a visit to the towns as part of a longer holiday. Many of us have arranged to stay with friends e.g. in Ancenis on our way back from the South of France. We don't offer a travel service as such, but we will be very happy to help you with information about the best ways of getting to and from Ancenis and Bad Bruckenau. In addition we can provide details of the local tourist attractions, maps of the areas, hotels (if you don't want to stay with a family), etc.  In fact, anything to help and make your visit as enjoyable as possible!

                        Contact me Norman Harris, if you want any more information, My details can be found on the  Contacts page.