Barnes/Le Pecq Friendship Link

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Some of the decorations put out to welcome the English visitors to the twinning ceremony

In May 2002 the Barnes Community Association (BCA) received an approach from the Mayor of Le Pecq-sur-Seine, a small town to the west of Paris, enquiring if we would be interested in exploring the possibility of a friendship link. Second Deputy Mayor Marie-Christine Dupont and British resident Clive Norman accepted our invitation to visit Barnes Fair in July 2002. “Barnes is very like our town,” explained Mme Dupont, “because it is close to the capital and on the river. It is a pretty town, clean, tidy and green and everyone has been very friendly. Our main hope from association with Barnes is to encourage friendship.” Our new friends returned home and reported back enthusiastically and favourably on their visit to the Mayor and Town Council.

At the end of August the Chairman of the BCA made a return visit to Le Pecq and met the Mayor and members of the Town Council. Indeed, Barnes and Le Pecq share many similarities in terms of people and location; but differences as well, Le Pecq is French and it even has a vineyard! We each agreed to set up working groups with a view to developing some educational, social, sporting and cultural links.

In November 2002 we received a visit from the Mayor of Le Pecq, Alain Gournac, and his first deputy, Jean-Jacques Lospier and their respective wives. "C'est incroyable", said the Mayor referring to the similarities, "it seems this link is really meant to be."

BCA Chairman Katie Gent and Le Pecq Mayor Alain Gounac sign the Twinning agreement

At each end mirror organisations, ‘Friends of Le Pecq and Les Amis de Barnes’, have been established in order to manage the process and build support. A delegation from Le Pecq again visited Barnes Fair in July 2003 in order to help build support for 'Friends of Le Pecq'. A delegation from Barnes reciprocated in the following September at La Fête des Associations in Le Pecq helping to recruit members of Les Amis de Barnes. There were various other exchanges, including one when a Barnes delegation attended a meeting with the ‘twinning associations’ for Le Pecq’s twin towns in Spain and Germany. Also, in Barnes there were a couple of very successful social events.

During this process those involved have made many good friends both on this and the other side of the channel. It has even emerged that there are residents in Le Pecq who have previously lived in the Barnes and vice versa. By 2004 it was time to take the next step, for the BCA to sign a formal ‘Friendship Agreement’ with the Mayor and Town Council of Le Pecq. This took place in early April 2004.

The Friendship Link is now thriving - you can find out more about our activities from the Latest News link.

If you would like to join the Friends of Le Pecq please contact the BCA at bca@barnesvillage.org.net.

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