Spring Newsletter 2010 (no 40)

Mayor becomes president

We are delighted to report that the Mayor and Chief Executive have agreed that this, and future Mayors will become the President of the Epsom & Ewell Town-Twinning Association during their term of office.

This, along with the appointment of two Councillors to the committee,

emphasises the continued close relationship between the Borough Council

and theTown-Twinning Association.

Welcome to new committee members

It also  gives me great pleasure to announce some new committee members who should strengthen the Association’s links with local organisations.

When the Association was founded in 1995 the constitution made provision for the steering committee to include representatives of organisations which have links with Chantilly. At the time such links had not been established and no such representatives were available.  As there are now a number of different links with Chantilly we invited a number of organisations to appoint representatives to the Twinning Committee including Epsom Male Voice Choir, Epsom Choral Society, Epsom Rotary Club, Epsom Model Railway Club, and Epsom Protection Society. These organisations have all, in different ways, established links and contacts with Chantilly.

Epsom Protection Society will be represented by Geoffrey Stone, Epsom Rotary Club by Colin Peel, and Epsom Male Voice Choir by existing committee member Cyril Frazer. We look forward to welcoming representatives from the remaining organisations onto the committee in the near future.

We still have room for further volunteers on the committee and nomination papers will be issued with the notifications of the AGM nearer the time. Please do contact myself or any committee member if you are interested.

AGM date confirmed

The AGM of the Town-Twinning Association will take place at Epsom Town Hall on Monday 28th June at 7.30pm. I do hope that as many members as possible will be able to attend.

There are some important decisions that have to be taken and this is a vital forum at which to discuss the future direction of the Association.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Mary Talbott, Chair

Rotarians meet up in support

In spite of several inches of snow across South East England, eight intrepid Rotarians from the Chantilly Rotary Club set out at 5am by car on 14th January this year to arrive for lunch with the Rotary Club of Epsom.

Lunch was followed by a joint meeting of the two clubs in order for Epsom Rotarians to provide support and help in the organisation of the English section of the Chantilly Rotary Club’s Cycle Race (more details in the article below), which will raise funds for repairs at St Peters Church in Chantilly.

After lunch the Chantilly Rotarians departed Epsom at 4pm for their return trip home.  It was a demanding day for them, but hopefully one that will provide the basis for Epsom Rotarians to give their support to this worthwhile fund-raising event.

Cyril Frazer, Committee member

The Race for St. Peter’s

This year marks the 150th anniversary year of St. Peter’s in Chantilly.  In 1860  a  transaction was  made between the representatives of the Duc D’Aumale, son of King Louis Philippe, and the Colonial Church and School Society.  As a result, a  piece of land was bought with the purpose of providing an English-style church as a place of worship and mission for the growing number of English people resident in and around the town of Chantilly.

St. Peter’s Church itself was eventually completed in 1865 but the present-day church has launched a Restoration Project to mark the anniversary in 2010, as a celebration of a marvellous story, full of ebbs and flows. Two World Wars in particular left their impact and there followed some very lean years, but St. Peter’s is now a vibrant, multinational community reaching out to English speakers working in the fields of education and the aeronautics, automobile, transport, logistics, and I.T. industries.  For twenty years or more, through the financial and spiritual support of the Intercontinental Church Society, St. Peter’s has employed a full-time chaplain, and 18 years ago completed a purpose-built church centre.

The building is however showing its age and a complete renovation of the inside of the church needs to be carried out, at a cost of around Euro 220,000. The latest phase will include a new floor, wood panelling, electrical re-wiring, a new heating system, sound system and a complete re-paint.  In support of the Restoration Project, various fundraising events are being organised, including the Race for St. Peter’s.

On 11th May a group of 11 cyclists and a support team of 6 people will begin a bike ride at Orleans House, Twickenham, the residence of exile of Chantilly’s Duc D’Aumale. They will then cycle on, via Epsom, to the weald of East Sussex before embarking on a ferry at Dover.  From there the riders take in St. Omer, Bapaume - where they will pay their respects to the memory of John Attwood, killed in action on 31st July 1916 and commemorated in a memorial window inside the church - Amiens and  Beauvais.  After that the riders head for home and the finish outside the church in Chantilly on May 15th.

If any members of the Association are interested in sponsoring the riders, please contact the chair, Mary Talbott on 01372 743336.

Choral festival set for May

Chantilly is organising a Choral Festival under the leadership of Monsieur Claude Charpentier, President of the Twinning Committee in Chantilly. 

Sponsalia, a chamber choir that includes several members of Epsom Choral Society as well as members of the Town-Twinning Association, will be taking part representing Epsom in this inaugural choral event.  Led by Janee Foxon, Sponsalia will be singing in two evening concerts with the choirs from Chantilly, Uberlingen in Germany and Watermael-Boitsfort in Belgium. 

The concerts will be held in the heart of Chantilly, the first on Saturday evening and the second on Sunday evening.  At each concert the choirs will sing their own choice of music for about 20 minutes, and then will sing two pieces together, one of which will be the European Hymn. 

For Sponsalia’s programme Janee has selected both English and French music.  Over 20 singers will be performing with Sponsalia and they will be staying in Chantilly that week-end along with their supporters.

We are very grateful to all of those in Sponsalia and especially Janee for taking on this commitment and for all the hard work involved in the preparation for the concerts.  Do visit the Sponsalia website to read more about the choir on: http://www.madanconsultancy.com/sponsalia/index.html

Some members of the Town-Twinning Association will be going to the Festival which promises to be a very special event in a beautiful setting, and others are welcome to join them.  If anyone is interested in attending please contact Clive Richardson at clive@epsomtwinning.com for more information.  Chantilly can be visited easily both by road and by rail, and there is a choice of places to stay. 

Jane Melia, Vice-Chair

The search for an old pen friend

The Association has received the following request from a lady who lives in The Ardèche region in France, and who contacted us via the twinning group in Chantilly.

The letter reads: ‘’When I was young, I had a penfriend, I have forgotten her address, I only remember her name, Penelope March,  and she lived in Epsom.  I remember her brother's name, Philip, and now I think she is about sixty like me. At the time (1963 - 1964) my name was Chantal Goudet and I lived in LeTeil in Ardeche. She may have changed her name and moved, but maybe she still lives in Epsom. To find again my "old" penfriend would be for me the best present in 2010!’’

If you know anything about Penelope March, or think you can help with the search please let us know.

Herald of Spring showcases Twinning

The Herald of Spring Exhibition in Ewell is an annual event which attracts a good crowd and this year as usual the Epsom and Ewell Town-Twinning Association had a stall - erected by Brian Angus - which attracted many visitors.  Most were refreshing their knowledge of what was going on in terms of Twinning, but the stand attracted a fair number of people who had either not heard of Twinning, or were new to the area and wanted to find out more. 

Clive Richardson, who helped man the stand, says, “We are hopeful that many will go on to join the Association and in one case to help us with furthering the work of the committee.  One advantage of our location was that it was away from people selling things and next to the main show hall, so we had plenty of passers-by.”

As the theme was medieval, the chateau at Chantilly was an obvious draw.  The “Paladins of Chivalry” who were performing mock battles at the event even expressed a wish to go to Chantilly to battle at the Chateau. Another suggestion was a French conversation group within the Twinning Association, and the committee may look at setting one up.

Thanks must go to Ann Dobson, Margaret Nightingale, John Garlick, Anne Richardson, Clive Richardson, and Brian Angus for manning the stand on the two days of the Herald of Spring.

Clive Richardson  at the  Association’s stand at Herald of Spring

Bastille Day in Epsom!

The Twinning Association proposes to share the French "fete nationale" on Wednesday 14^th July.  Whilst the French celebrate their national independence day in traditional fashion with a public holiday, our festivities will be more modest, though we intend to celebrate in a suitable way.

The front-running idea at the moment is for a trip in a luxury Epsom Coach to an interesting venue for supper. The aim would be to keep the inclusive price below £35 and we will do our best to incorporate a French atmosphere into the ambience, the menu and the weather.   It will be an informal occasion and we hope this will be an opportunity for members to become better acquainted.

Everyone will be welcome: members of the Twinning Association, families, friends, those interested or planning twinning activities and  anyone who just  wishes to see what twinning may have to offer them. If you are interested in joining this magical mystery evening please let Brian Angus know by email to: brian@epsomtwinning.com or phone 020 8393 1749.

This will be our first celebration of Bastille Day and we would like to make it a special occasion that perhaps we could repeat every year. Please join us - and we guarantee you will return home with your head!

Peter Hardy, Committee member

Members’ dinners

Our next regular dinner will be held at the Café Rouge in Epsom High Street on Tuesday 13^th April.  I have already written to members and hope many will join us as we are assured of an excellent dinner and a most enjoyable evening.  Please let me know if you intend to come so that I can book our table. 

Following that, our next dinner is scheduled for Tuesday 8^th June. I would like to try the new Canopy Restaurant opposite the clock Tower in Epsom, which is run by our friends Sean and Joyce Mooney who used to manage the catering at the Epsom Club.  We know that Joyce is an excellent chef, and they will look after us well, but their set menu is likely to be a little more expensive.   I will be in touch with members again nearer the time, but please put the date in your diary now.

Also can members please send me their email addresses if they have one?  This makes it easier for me to contact you between newsletters!  You may call me on 01372 209704 or email me at margaret.nightingale1@ntlworld.com to give me the details.

Margaret Nightingale, Membership Secretary

Calendar of Events
2010
Tuesday 13^th April	Members’ Dinner at Café Rouge
Saturday 24^th April	Mayor’s Charity Ball, Queens Stand
Tuesday 11^th May	Visit of Rotary Cycling team from Chantilly
Saturday 22^nd – Sunday 23^rd May	Chantilly Choirs Festival in Chantilly
Tuesday 8^th June	Members’ Dinner at the Canopy, Epsom
Monday 28^th June	Twinning Association AGM at the Town Hall
Wednesday 14^th July	Bastille Day Celebration Outing
August – date tbc	Summer BBQ at South Hatch
Monday 30^th August	Prix de Chantilly at Epsom Racecourse
September – date tbc	Visiting Football team from Chantilly
October – date tbc	Twinning Cheese & Wine Party at the Town Hall

Committee for 2009/10

Mrs Mary Talbott - Chairman                                     01372 743336

Mrs Jane Melia – Vice Chairman                                 01372 728333

Mr Brian Vandervilt - Treasurer                                 0208 3958996

Mrs Margaret Nightingale - Membership Secretary    01372 209704

Mrs Betty Emery - Publicity Officer                          01372 725027

Cllr Clive Woodbridge - Newsletter Editor                  0208 3932853

Mr Brian Angus                                                         0208 3931749

Mrs Alison Chatterton                                               01372 811099

Mr Cyril Frazer                                                         0208 3933628

Cllr Jonathon Reed                                                            0208 3935355