The twinning from 1958 to today
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Presentation of the French association
Presentation of the English association
Sézanne and Mondement
Holbeach and Spalding
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1. The beginning of the story
2. From 1958 to today 3. Exchanges through years |
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The beginning of the story.
It began with a friendship between two young girls. Pupils of a Swiss school, Madeleine Desroches and Nora Lane became friends. In order to improve their English and French, they were received into their respective families and strong ties were established between the two families. It was in 1958 that Mr. Desroches, mayor of Mondement, in connection with the Council of European Municipalities and his objective of promoting a united Europe, wanted to link his commune with that one of Holbeach, the town where Nora Lane lived. Given the size of Mondement, he proposed to associate Sézanne and this was how the Twinning Charter was signed on 6 and 7 September 1958 between Sézanne, Mondement and Holbeach. An article in the Spalding Guardian of February 28, 1957, gives an abstract of the preparation of the twinning. In December, M. Desroches addressed an invitation which was discussed at a meeting of the Council of Holbeach. In February 1958, Mr. Desroches again sent a message to Mr. Mossop, Secretary of the Council, and proposed a twinning with the town of Sézanne near Mondement. Indeed, it indicates that if Mondement is a small village of historical interest since in the heart of the Battle of the Marne in 1914, Sézanne is a city comparable to Holbeach by its size but also by its economic surroundings, the two cities being deployed in a regions of great cultures. He suggested a meeting in Paris in April 1958. Mrs Lane proposed to represent the Council and it was decided that she would be accompanied by Mrs Hunter, President of the rural district of East Elloe and Mr Mossop. This meeting resulted in the establishment of a charter of twinning between the three cities and three signatures were placed at the bottom of this Charter: that one of Mr Doucet (Mayor of Sézanne), that one of Mrs Alison Hunter (Chairman of The East Elloe Rural District Council) and finally that one of Mr. Desroches (Mayor of Mondement). By these signatures, the Aediles pledged themselves "to maintain permanent links between the municipalities of the two communes and to encourage exchanges between their inhabitants to develop by a better mutual understanding the living feeling of the European fraternity." The charter also stressed the commitment of the signatories in the combination of their efforts "in order to help to the extent of their means to the success of this necessary undertaking of peace and prosperity which is European unity". The ceremonies which marked these signatures were impressed with solemnity. In Sézanne, speeches followed one another at the signing at the town hall. The officials then went to the Franco-English square in Sézanne's cemetery. Wreaths were laid by Mrs Hunter for the French monument and Mr Doucet for the English monument. A gala evening in the Praetorium closed the day. The theater group Benoist-Berthiot played "The Beggars in Paradise", comedy in four paintings by G.-Martens and A. Obey. The musical part was provided by the symphonic orchestra of the Municipal Music under the direction of Mr. L. Cadet. "The dance of the demons" was interpreted by a group of elders of Elan Sportif Sézannais. The "black light" was realized by André Pinard, sound and lighting were entrusted to the R. Bollot company, the floral decoration was realized by Mrs. P. Esman, the make-up by Mrs. R. Bollot, The background by Marius Charlon, Yves Hagnus and Jean Charlon and finally the staging by Paul Benoist. The next day, Sunday, September 7, 1958, the officials went to Mondement. After being received at the castle, they went to the monument. Mrs Hunter and Mr Desroches gave a speech before Commander Gauvin decorated three former soldiers and that the commemorative plaque was inaugurated at Mondement's mayor's office. 
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From 1959 to today.
Between 1959 and 1976, relations remained under the responsibility of local elected representatives. However, Monique Marquet, director of the kindergarten of Sézanne, was invited to take part in a meeting of the municipal council. She proposed an action which could be carried out both by the young people of Sézanne and by those of Long Sutton at Holbeach: to illustrate a fable of La Fontaine. Thus, an exhibition of drawings was held in Holbeach in 1962, an exhibition attended by young people from Sézanne under the direction of their teacher, M. Blouin. Their productions were exhibited in the hall of the school of the city, where they were admired at length by their English friends. As part of the reciprocity, the exhibition of the drawings of the young English took place on Sunday 8 September 1963 at 4 pm at the nursery school of Sézanne, followed by an aperitif in the wedding hall of the town hall. In 1967, during a stay in Sézanne, a working session between the English delegation and the French elected representatives made it possible to envisage an extension of the common activities in the cultural, social or economic fields. Thus, in 1967, the delegates of Holbeach were able to visit "La Côte des Blancs" and meet the heads of the Cooperative Union of the harvesting proprietors of Mesnil-sur-Oger. It was also in 1967 that the "twinning committee" was created within the municipal council under the responsibility of M. Blouin. And finally, the year 1967 saw the marriage of Ms Anne-Marie Blouin de Sézanne and Mr Samuel Mossop of Holbeach on 23 December. It was not until 1972 that the exchanges expanded to the school environment. A delegation of English teachers came to meet the teachers of several schools in the city. It was agreed that an exchange of 3rd grade pupils would be arranged. During the reception at the Hotel de Ville by Mr. Caurier Mayor, Mr. Side, head of the English delegation, declared: "The friendship of the children must prolong the one we have given rise to." As the twinning activities developed, Sézanne decided in 1976 to create an association Law 1901 (non-profit organization) under the name "Sézanne-Mondement-Holbeach". M. Blouin was its first President. It was in 1977 that Spalding, which in 1974 became the headquarters of the new South Holland district to which Holbeach was attached, decided to join the twinning. During the French trip to England, Mr. Blouin said at the welcome reception at Spalding: "We are smaller than Spalding but our hearts are great to welcome you." Rendezvous was arranged for an officialization of this entry the following year for the 20th anniversary of the twinning. In 1982 the first exchange of high school students took place. In April, 31 pupils of the Sézanne high school accompanied by Miss Claudine Bezos, Boué-Mathou, English teachers and Georges Vayron, left for Spalding. In 1998, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary in Sezanne, a parade, led by music, left Holbeach boulevard, crossed the city by Notre-Dame street before reaching the square of the Town Hall for reception at the old college. Two riders were placed behind the Fere-Champenoise band, one holding a French flag, the other an English flag. In the evening, a meal was served at the Prétoire hosted by the municipal music and the folklore group "Jeune Champagne de Troyes". The next day, the English Visitd the "Forges of Buffon" in the Côte d'Or department. After lunch in Montbard, the afternoon was devoted to the discovery of the abbey of Fontenay. Finally, on Sunday, the commemorative ceremonies at Mondement took place, ceremonies during which a pigeon release was made. Since then the reciprocal welcome has continued years after years, if one excludes the cancellation of the Visit to the French to England in 2012.
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Exchanges through the years.
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