After a long pause caused by Covid and Brexit, the town of Bury has reconnected with its French twin town, Tulle, with a fresh visit that reignited decades-old links.
It was a soggy but spirited reunion as representatives from Bury visited the French town of Tulle in Corrèze this month, marking the first official exchange in several years between the two twinned communities.
The visit, led by Bury’s delegation as part of the Tulle-Schorndorf-Bury-Dueville twinning committee, was described as a welcome return to form after a long break triggered by both the Covid pandemic and the complexities of Brexit.
Francois Nicod, co-president of the twinning committee on the French side, said it had been a long time coming. “The last time we met was in 2018, when the Tullistes visited Bury,” he recalled. “Since then, it’s been silence, Covid happened, and then Brexit, which has made everything more difficult.”
Speaking with good humour about the week’s weather, typically British rain showers that persisted throughout the trip, Nicod added, “The English didn’t seem bothered, they’re used to it. I think we were more put off than they were!”
The visit was not without its administrative hiccups. Travel between the UK and France now requires a passport and, in some cases, a visa, which added delays for the incoming Bury group. “They flew into Limoges and then had to wait an hour just to get their visas stamped,” Nicod explained.
Despite the red tape, spirits were high, and the trip has been seen as a strong step towards rebuilding what has been a historically close and friendly relationship between the two towns. Cultural exchanges, joint projects, and student visits had once been a regular feature of the twinning arrangement.
The committee hopes to resume these programmes in the near future.
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