Strengthening bonds of friendship between Inverness and St Valery-en-Caux

Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee, will visit St Valery-en-Caux later this month to renew and strengthen bonds of friendship with the city’s French twin town. The Provost and Mayor Gerard Mauger of St Valery-en-Caux will sign a twinning charter on Saturday 22 August, which commits both communities to encourage, promote and support communications in schools using the benefits of information communications technology (e-twinning).

The charter says the e-twinning commitment will strengthen the historic bonds between the two communities to promote cultural, tourist, social and sporting exchanges and develop mutual respect and friendship between the people of Inverness and St Valey-en-Caux.

Inverness has a long tradition with St Valery. Many Invernessians served in the 51st Highland Division, who were instrumental in the liberation of St Valery-en-Caux in 1944 along with the other allied forces. The friendship between Inverness and St Valery-en-Caux dates back to 1987, when the town twinning agreement was signed. Since then there have been many exchanges between the two locations, most notably, perhaps, the Millennium Cycle Relay from Inverness to St Valery-en-Caux in 2000 – a distance of 830 miles. 

The friendship between Inverness and St Valery-en-Caux dates back to 1987, when the town twinning agreement was signed. Since then there have been many exchanges between the two locations, most notably, perhaps, the Millennium Cycle Relay from Inverness to St Valery-en-Caux in 2000 – a distance of 830 miles.  Inverness City Committee and Inverness Town Twinning Committee are providing a laptop computer to the first local schools to eTwin with each of their three twin towns – Augsburg, La Baule and St Valery-en-Caux.

Provost Gray said: “Inverness has long standing ties with St Valery based on events in World War 2. Both St Valery and Inverness are keen to strengthen those ties through the medium of modern technology. We know children are adept at using computers so hope this will stimulate their interest in town twinning and lead to many cyber visits using the internet.”

Mrs Kathleen Matheson, Chairman of the Inverness Town Twinning Committee, said: “We are fully supportive of activities that will encourage children to get involved in town twinning. eTwinning seems like a great way to allow children to interact with children in Europe from the comfort of their school desks.”