News

NEWSLETTER  October 2007

Colin Tearle (Chairman) 01303 892621

David Bateman (Vice-chairman)

Leo Lyons(Secretary) 01303 844672

Paul Tatt (Treasurer)

Harry O`Grady  Andrew Barchi Yvonne Parry  Heather Bateman - Peter Brocklebank Linda Tearle  Graham Truss

Dear Member,

On Friday September 7th members of the Swingfield Twinning Association greeted twenty four of their French friends from the Normandy village of Aviron at the Black Horse in Densole for the start of the annual exchange visit. Many of the visitors were pleased to see the France versus Argentina rugby match playing out on the pub’s television screen – but not so pleased by the result. After welcoming drinks and fond greetings the visitors were driven off to their hosts’ homes for a reasonably early night ready for the weekend’s busy schedule.

The visitors and friends met early next day on a fine late summer morning to being taken by minibus to Maidstone to board the Allington Belle pleasure boat on the river Medway. The stately paddleboat made its way downstream to the Museum of Kent Life. Alongside many interesting permanent exhibits depicting aspects of Kent life through the centuries, the museum was celebrating Hop day with staff and friends in hop-pickers costumes and pearly kings and queens in attendance. There was Morris dancing and the chance to try your hand at hop picking, see demonstrations of bee-keeping and other country pursuits or just listen to live music and admire the vegetable and fruit gardens. Many friends and visitors took advantage of the on-site beer festival as a good place to have a picnic as the weather stayed fine.

In the evening the Swingfield Twinning Association teamed up with Selsted School PTA for a race night at the school hall. Races were sponsored by local firms and much excitement followed as the eight horse and dog races were played out on the big screen. A fish supper was provided mid evening – a traditional British meal much enjoyed by French and English alike. A considerable sum was raised by the event which was split between the two organizations.

The theme of traditional English food continued for Sunday’s activities with a delicious lunch at the new and much admired Wootton Village hall. Local chef and Twinning Association member Graham White, volunteered to lay on an excellent three course meal followed by English cheese and coffee. Our French visitors were much impressed by the smoked mackerel pate followed by Steak and Ale pies with potatoes and vegetables. Murmurs of delight which needed no translation greeted the dessert – a proper English sherry trifle. Excellent English cheeses laid to rest once and for all the oft quoted belief that English cooking runs a poor second to French cuisine.

Sadly the time for departure came round all too soon and Wootton main street reverberated to shouts of ‘Au revoir’ and ‘A bientot’ as our visitors departed for boats and trains back to la belle France.

Colin Tearle