October 2006

In April we welcomed a group of thirty-two friends from Chauvigny for four days of activities.

The programme included a visit to the Essex County Council chamber in Chelmsford, hosted by the incoming Chairman of Essex County Council, Cllr Gerald McKeown and Billericay's County Councillor, Cllr Anthony Hedley This was followed by a tour of the newly-restored Hylands House. We had a cream tea with our guests in the elegant dining room. Billericay's MP, John Baron, joined us and asked us when the Chavinois would be here next. He promised a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament in 2008.

Our French guests also paid a visit to Mountnessing Windmill and had an introduction to a traditional English pub (the White Hart at Margaretting Tye). We took our Chauvinois friends on a walk round Norsey Woods, led by ranger Chris Huggins, where Andrew Trasler presented him with a French translation of the Guide to Norsey Woods.

The Sunday was spent with the host families and excursions ranged far and wide, from the wool churches of north Essex to the seaside at Southend, but we all met up in the evening for a tour of Ingatestone Hall, where Lord Petre gave our guests a guided tour of Ingatesone Hall in French.

At the official dinner on April 21st, there was an exchange of gifts. Our friends from Chauvigny presented us with a superb photo album of photos of our last visit to Chauvigny, with plenty of empty pages to add pictures of our future activities. As it was also the Queen’s 80^th birthday that day, we gave the Chauvinois a specially minted, solid silver com- memorative edition of the £5.00 coin in a presentation case. The evening was rounded off by the Billericay Morris Men who performed the St George Mummers' Play.

A few weeks later, on a showery afternoon, a group of hardy volunteers took part in the annual Charity Fun Walk organised by our local MP, John Baron. Participants raise their own sponsorship which is topped up from a fund built up by John Baron from corporate donors. We raised £326 and hope to do even better next year when it will held on May 21st.

On a baking hot day in July, the BTA had a stall at the Rotary Club’s summer Charity Fayre. We ran a Treasure Hunt and Balls in the Bucket, and raised £140.00 thanks to valuable donations from Cook, Waitrose plc, Presence and Caffe Uno.

Margaret and Andrew Trasler joined representatives of Chauvigny, and its other twin towns of Geisenheim (Germany), Trino (Italy) and Banfora (Burkina Faso) for the nineteenth festival of walking for friendship. This year’s event, organised by Trino, was in Limone-Piemonte, a small mountain sports resort in north-west Italy, near the French border.

It was a wonderful week, blessed by warm sunshine, with walks including a steep climb to a summit at 7200ft, an invigorating walk through lushly fragrant alpine pastures, a path alongside a tumbling river and a visit to a site of mysterious rock carvings made by prehistoric man. All this was accompanied by good opportunities to make friends and renew acquaintances from the other towns.

If all this sounds a little too energetic, they did not find the walks excessively demanding, even though the terrain was very different from our usual footpaths of central Essex. In fact, each day you can choose which of the three groups you will walk with, depending on the terrain, the length of the walk and your own capabilities.

Next year’s event, hosted by Geisenheim, will be in Riezlern on the German/Austrian border just south of Oberstdorf.

On 7^th September 1998 Billericay signed a twinning agreement with Fishers at a ceremony in St Mary Magdalene, Great Burstead. Since then, there have been many exchange visits between the two towns, especially between the schools, and many people have experienced what is known locally as the "Hoosier Hospitality".

Fishers, Indiana formerly known as Fishers Station and originally as Fishers Switch, came into existence in June 1872 when Salathiel Fisher divided his land into town lots. In those days, it was common for new communities to spring up along railways and Fishers was no exception, hence the reference to a train station or "switch".

Fishers is located in the south-east of Hamilton County, Indiana, just 20 miles north-east of Indianapolis.

The community is experiencing rapid growth: in 1980 its population was just 2008 while by 2003 it had risen to over 52,000.

In September, four students and two teachers from Mayflower High School and the Billericay School visited Fishers for ten days to see the schools and to take part in "The Renaissance Fayre". This event is organised by the Sister Cities Association, similar to the Billericay Twinning Association, and depicts a medieval English town enjoying a weekend of festivities.

At the Billericay High Street fun evening on December 6th, the now-traditional BTA stall will be in place outside JB’s Fruiterers. We will be selling crêpes and "Smoking Bishop", an alcohol-free winter punch.

On January 27th 2007, we will be holding another Quiz Evening at the Canon Roche Hall. This was an extremely well-attended event last year, so book early to get a place.

We have been invited to Chauvigny on an exchange visit. Tentative plans are to fly to Poitiers from Stansted on the afternoon of Wednesday 16 May, so that we can take advantage of the long Ascension Day weekend in France. Full details still have to be worked out with our hosts, and flight times are not yet available from Ryanair, but the return will either be on Sunday afternoon 20 May or Monday 21 May.

One of our members. Jackie Farrell, is giving a 30-week French brush-up course (Code: WEO4B01) on Thursdays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm in Ongar. For details ring Epping Education Centre, 01992 575055.

We have three vacancies on the Chauvigny sub-committee and we would like to hear from anyone who like to help with organising links with our French twin. Meetings are usually once a month on the first Monday, but don't worry if you can't always make it. More important is a continual supply of new ideas and this can only come from the you, the members!

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