In autumn 2022 an intrepid band of Settlers set off for deepest France to attempt a resurrection of the Settle-Banyuls town twinning arrangement.
Eight of us (self-funded) managed to locate the idyllic settlement on the Mediterranean coast, close to the border with Spain, just as the locals were about to celebrate their annual wine festival. What an incredible coincidence! We spent several days hosted by friendly natives and a merry time was had by one and all.
We naturally offered to reciprocate and the return visit is now about to happen.
Our guests will be jetting into the glorious Manchester evening sunshine on Wednesday, May 22nd and coming straight up here to lodge with their hosts. The Town Council has offered to fund a reception at 2pm the following day in the Town Hall premises, where they will be welcomed by the Mayor and Councillors and presented with a locally inspired gift. The rest of the day will probably be spent relaxing in town and getting to know Settle and its immediate environs.
Our original band of eight explorers is very keen that this venture should not be limited to them alone. This is a TOWN partnership and we would therefore like as many people as possible to be involved. A friendly ‘Eyup!’ around town would be a lovely gesture. Maybe you would like to join the group on visits in and around Settle?
Suggestions so far include Bleak Bank farm; sheepdog trials; Giggleswick School Chapel; hikes; wild swimming (!); folk music; The Folly; Lord’s brocante; tea at Elaine’s in Feizor; cheese and beer-tasting; a Skipton canal-boat ride; a National Trust property (eg: Gawthorpe Hall, Burnley, Lancashire!); Settle-Carlisle Railway (strikes permitting); Tom Lord’s farm; Leeds Jazz Festival; Saltaire Mill; Victoria Hall (Paper Boys concert); Arts and Craft House (Lake District); Harewood House and last, but most definitely not least, a Settle Club cricket match. We could even organise a game with the u3a Walking Cricket squad.
Some of these ideas may involve too much travel and also too much expense, as the only funds we have are the £200+ left over from the last Banyuls visit over ten years ago. I’m afraid anyone accompanying the group would have to pay entry fees themselves, but I suspect most of the trips will be local and not break the bank. The main thing is for our guests to see a little of our beautiful county and meet as many Yorkshire folk as possible.
One possibility for Settlers, Gigglers etc to get more involved would be to invite a French person or couple for an evening meal in their home. This would provide an opportunity for our guests to experience a possibly different environment from the one in which they will be spending most of their time. And you could practise your French!
Another way in which you might like to contribute to the venture is for you to hold an April coffee morning in order to raise cash for trips/venue tickets. If we knew by the end of the month how much cash was available, we could cut our cloth accordingly when planning entertainments.
A farewell meal is planned for the evening of Sunday, May 26th at Settle Cricket Club. The following morning, some of the French group will be returning to Manchester and home. Some are heading north to Edinburgh for a few days, so we must make all endeavours to match, if not beat their Scottish experience.
If you would like to get more involved in the above, be it mixing with our guests, joining trips, offering meals or fund-raising, please contact one of the email addresses below as soon as possible.
We look forward to hearing from you and hope we can all do our best to provide a memorable stay for the goodly folk of Banyuls. It’s great to make new friends and we would very much like to expand the group on our next visit to Banyuls. As much as the eight pioneers of 2022 would like to repeat a most enjoyable experience, we would like to encourage as many different people as possible to become Twinners.
Ian Gray
Get In Touch & Join In
Phil McCarthy
pgmccarthy123@hotmail.com
Lynda Boyce
bronfay@hotmail.co.uk
Jean and Dave Hall
jean.hall1@btinternet.com
Mike Driver
Mikedriver2000@yahoo.com
Margaret and Ian Gray
ianandmargaretgray@hotmail.com
And two more hosts not on the expedition to France in 2022:
Pippa and Robert Jackson
robert_jackson58@yahoo.co.uk
