Horndean Parish Twinning Association (established 1990)
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Our History
In 1990, Horndean Parish Council, at the request of members of the public, organised a public meeting to investigate the subject of Twinning with another community.
Presentations were received from representatives of existing twinning associations who outlined the advantages that their respective communities had gained during the time they had been exchanging with another community. As a result of the discussion that followed it was agreed that a Management Committee be formed from some of those present and the task set to find a community to twin with.
The instruction to the committee was that the Town or Village we would twin with would be in France and sufficiently close to allow weekend visits either way.
From the outset it was agreed that the Association would be self-funding and that although the Parish Council gave its blessing and would be represented on the committee, no funds would be available from the Council.
After almost a year searching for a suitable twin community the Town of Domfront in France showed an interest in Horndean and exchanges began and continued until 1997. Many enjoyable trips were made including Blendworth Band playing in concerts, school and family exchanges. It was not to last and in 1997 with no reason given Domfront announced that they would no longer be involved in twinning with Horndean and cut off all relations.
An extraordinary meeting of the Association was convened and it was agreed to continue as an Association and seek another community in France.
In 1997 an article appeared in a local government journal advertising the fact that Aubergenville, a town near to Paris, was interested in twinning with a town in Hampshire.
We sent out a "reconnaissance party" to "case the place" and having received a favourable report we contacted the Aubergenville committee and exchanged profiles of each other's communities.
Representatives of Horndean visited in December 1997 and by May we were very happy that this was the town that we wanted to twin with.
Aubergenville is similar to Horndean in that it straddles a Motorway, its population in slightly less but its size about the same. It is easy to reach taking only two hours motoring having landed in France.
If you would like to know in more detail about becoming a member of the
Horndean Parish Twinning Association then please contact us
by sending an email to: twinning@horndean.net