Photograph courtesy of Phil R.

The local Twinning Association was formed in 1979, so the year 2009 became our 30th Anniversary. In keeping with the previous major anniversaries, a large exchange was organised to celebrate the event, in which we endeavoured to involve all the communuity.

Over the weekend of 30^th & 1^st June 2009 we received some 85 French visitors from Bellême and its surrounding area as well as visitors from Stühlingen in Germany. All together there were over 100 visitor attending the celebrations.

The Bellêmoise presented us with a special plaque showing that we were only 830 kilometres apart.

A representative from Stühlingen presented a letter from their Bergermeisterin to the Chairman of Goring Parish Council.

We have been invited to Bellême over the weekend of 22nd & 23rd May 2010 to celebrate the anniversary there. This will also coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the Twinning of Bellême and Stühlingen, and so this will be a tri-national affair.

Everybody is invited to the celebrations in Bellême.

A broad outline of our local festivities is shown on The Weekend page and further details of all the action can be found on the following pages or sets of pages:

• The Weekend
• Arrival
• The Village Quiz
• The Gardens
• The Formalities
• The Folk Dancing
• The Boat Trip
• The Church Service
• En Famille
• Departure
• The Community