This year, Brangore Twinning Association visited St Georges Montcocq in lovely weather at the end of May.  Forty two members travelled to Normandy, including a three-month-old baby a tiny toddler five children and three teenagers.  Our coach arrived in darkness as we all crept into Betsy Lane, trying not to disturb the sleeping village very early in the morning.  Brian Legg was our driver once again and we greeted him as an old friend.  We sped along, using the Normandy Express for the first time to travel to France.

Arriving in St Georges by lunchtime gave us all a chance to spend time with hosts before meeting at the Salle Polyvalente for an evening meal.  It was a delight to stand in the evening sunshine, enjoying an aperitif and listening to a soloist and the entertainment continued throughout a superb meal. Jacques Lebouteiller, a well-known Normandy folksinger and member of the St Georges Twinning Group, sang in French and in English.  We all joined in using the song sheets which Jacques had prepared.  Philippe Bertrand presented a challenging and fun tongue twister activity in both languages.  Many of the twinning group in St Georges had been studying English.  It was lovely to meet their tutor Barbara and to welcome her and her husband as new members.

An early start on Sunday led to a day full of surprises.  We travelled to Fougeres where we had a guided tour of the castle and a potted history of the many battles it had seen.  This was followed by a tour of town on board Le Petit Train.  The sun shone, the day got hotter and hotter and we all looked for shade during our picnic lunch.  We then strolled around the gardens of the Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne, which represented different parts of the world.  Our intrepid boys faced the wobbling bridge courageously. Fortunately, no one was left behind in the Garden of Knossos where we searched for a way through the maze.  The roses were all in full bloom and the scent was carried on the heat.  As the day turned into evening we join different family groups to enjoy memorable meals together.  A barbecue in a garage and an evening at a restaurant were just two of our wonderful experiences.

During Monday morning we explored St Georges and its surroundings in different ways.  For some it was a visit to a supermarket, the grounds of Chateau de Carisy, or to watch storks nesting high in the ruins of a castle.  Other families went for a walk, out to lunch at a restaurant or to visit old friends.  It is always sad to say goodbye and there were plenty of hugs and photographs and a few tears as we left St Georges, already planning 2012 when our friends in St Georges Montcocq return to Bransgore.

The Bransgore Twinning Association welcomed thirty adults and children from Normandy into various homes in the village during the May Bank holiday week-end. Bransgore has been twinned for twenty one years with St Georges Montcocq, near St Lo.

Families are twinned with one another and visit alternate countries each year. The celebrations continued throughout the week-end. Eighty four people had the pleasure of dining on board the Wessex Belle, steaming out of Swanage and eating as the train travelled up and down the line on Saturday evening. The group arrived in Swanage in style, having journeyed across Dorset in a traditional double decker bus - click here to see photos of the evening.

A reception and tea party was held in Bransgore Village Hall on Sunday afternoon and nearly one hundred people joined the lively party - click here to see the photos. During the afternoon the New Forest was represented by The Chair of the District Council. Mrs Sally Owen, Chair of Bransgore Parish Council and Sam Clark, the Parish Clerk, represented the political life of the Village. Reverend Richard Clarke represented the spiritual life of Bransgore. Bransgore Scout Group have often camped at St Georges Montcocq and they were represented by Mr and Mrs Mike Manley.

Many of the Founder members whose vision it was to develop the concept of twinning attended the celebrations. Some Bransgore members can no longer travel and were thrilled to meet old friends and muse over shared experiences. Fifteen children joined in all the celebrations and added to the enthusiastic atmosphere.

The French presented the Bransgore Twinning Association with a shield carrying the Normandy insignia and a pewter jug.

We presented the French a collage of memorable photographs of twenty one years of friendship - a gift which really delighted the visitors – click here to see the collage. The 21st birthday cake was cut and a sumptuous tea was enjoyed by all

May Day is an important event in France. The visitors were entertained to a delightful tour of Christchurch by a bi-lingual guide - click here to see photos of the tour - and as they left more gifts were given. The winners of the children`s competition about Bransgore were announced. Lauren Bennet presented the best Bransgore entry and Sabrina and Kevin Duchemin were the outstanding winners for the French group. The ladies were all presented with Lily of the Valley, a traditional French gift on May Day which is said to bring good luck.

The Saturday morning of the May Bank Holiday was glorious at 6.30am when a coach left Bransgore for Portsmouth Harbour.  Thirty six adults and ten children travelled to the ferry, hoping for a lovely week-end in France.  They were disappointed with the weather, but delighted to be taking part in such a memorable visit.
 
Bransgore is twinned family to family and several of the members have known their families for more than twenty years. Six new families had recently joined the association and so as old friends were re-united at St Georges Montcocq, new friendships were being forged.
 
A brief moment for refreshment and recuperation was followed by a reception at La Salle Polyvalente, their Village hall. A vin d`honneur or welcome drink, was followed by brief speeches.  Judith Allebon, Chair of the association presented the Mayor of St Georges Montcocq with a copy of the recently published book "The Annals of Avon".  This is the story the Avon Tyrell Estate, written by Janet Burn and Patrick Elkins - a gift of some local significance is usually presented to the French village.
 
A delicious evening meal was served, followed by delightful and excellent singing by a local group.
 
Sunday dawned cold and extremely wet.  The proposed visits went ahead regardless and the coaches headed for the coast with French and British families on board.  The attempt to look at the viewpoint and out to the islands off the Normandy coast was a bit of a wash out as the heavens opened.
 
Not to be daunted, the group moved on to Barfleur and the brave amongst us went to look at the point from which William sailed to claim the English throne - while the less brave found a cafe and hot coffee!
 
A restored mill was the main visit of the morning and we were grateful to be under cover.  One of France`s well-loved poets grew up in the mill and was taught to read before she was five by the local priest. she raised her family, ran the mill and wrote poetry - a quite woman.
 
Each of the French families had made a picnic for their guests.  Ninety one of us crowded into a barn and squeezed together at the tables while it rained steadily

Sunday afternoon had been set aside for a visit to the Isle de Tatihou where there are maritime gardens.  It was too dangerous to walk across the causeway so we all travelled by boat - a boat with a difference - when the tide is low it runs on wheels then when the tide comes in - it floats out to the island.  And the sun came out with perfect timing.
 
We were all entertained in a variety of ways by our families on Sunday evening - some families went to restaurants, others held family parties or formal dinners.
 
A thoroughly wet morning greeted us on Bank Holiday Monday when many of the French families also had the day off.  Some left early and travelled back to Britain in severe storms.  Those travelling by coach spent the day with their host families.
 
The ferry for the coach party was delayed due to bad weather - but by the time it left the sea had calmed down and the crossing was very pleasant.
 
A very tired group returned to Bransgore in the early hours of Tuesday morning, delighted that once again the twinning week-end had been such a success.

Thirty seven members of Bransgore Twinning Association travelled to St Georges Montcocq in Normandy, for a weekend of delights and surprises.
 
We left Bransgore as the sun came up on a glorious morning and drove through the New Forest to Portsmouth for an early crossing to France. Eight young people and students joined the group; two very excited little boys were about to see France for the first time. Four new members were keen to meet their hosts and the rest of the party were looking forward to seeing long-standing friends. The coach journey proved to be ideal once again and we were able to use a salon aboard Le Bretagne where we dozed or played cards, read or studied. The teenagers impressed us as they revised for their exams while the rest of us relaxed.

The weekend was jam-packed with activities. After a brief visit to our hosts homes everyone met for an evening of great fun. The evening meal took hours to eat. Punch was served and enjoyed during the formalities when the Mayor of St Georges Montcocq welcomed the British guests. Judith Allebon, responded in French and presented the Normandy village with a copy of the recently published book, Bransgores Sacrifice 1914-1980, compiled by J. Cockram, N. Saunders and R. Williams. Barbara Houston translated the very rapid speech given by Jean-Yves Laurence (Maire).
 
A lively demonstration of line dancing was given by a local club throughout the evening and most of the guests joined in between courses. We danced so much that coffee was not served until 11-15 and we all slept well that night.

Sunday was spent exploring the amazing local area. An entertaining history lesson took place near the marshlands where a boat had been dredged up recently. This iconic feature of times past is now housed in an open barn which was created as a tourist centre. The next stop on the tour was a visit to the ruined Chateau of Simon de Montfort. As there are no written records of the chateau, the state cannot support the restoration project. A local group of volunteers have purchased the leasehold for 99 years and are slowly restoring the site. The group were told how the feudal lord of the manor dominated the peasant community.
 
The serious mood turned to laughter when several of the twinners tried to walk on stilts for the first time. Hilarity changed into amazement as we were taken to an exhibition of one artists passion for wood. After his motorbike fell apart he painstakingly copied every part, large and small and re-created them in wood. This led to producing a full sized tractor, a table smothered in a sea food feast, an artists studio complete with a nude and a world famous clock which appears in The Guinness Book of Records.

A picnic lunch and rides on a model steam train owned by an ex pat from Gravesend led the travellers to wonder whatever next?. The immediate answer was to be introduced to a tourist whose father lives in Bransgore! We were then taken back in time as we all gazed at miniature, animated scenes of life in the 1930s. Life in the chateau contrasted with the day the circus came to town. The pompiers tackled a very realistic fire and the carpenters shop was full of treasured tools. We had requested a local tour, little knowing what surprises lay ahead. a joint committee meeting was held alongside the railway line and a date was set for 2010.

Dinner with the host families at their homes or in restaurants and a morning in their company were a fitting way to end yet another memorable visit to St Georges Montcocq. Some of us visited St Lo, some various cemeteries, local beauty spots and all of us enjoyed wonderful lunches. The hugs and tears and promises to see one another soon were so memorable as we boarded the coach for the short journey to Cherbourg. each of us has a particular highlight of the visit. Our youngest travellers will never forget the moment when the National Police boarded the coach to check each passport. We could not have planned a more dramatic end to the journey.
 
The week end was beautifully organized, right down to pleasant, but cool weather with only a little rain. The sea was calm and all went without a hitch. The small number of Twinners who were unable to travel were greatly missed and their French friends sent their very best wishes to them all.

Following a lively and very successful visit to Bransgore in May by our French guests, the Twinning Association enjoyed summertime activities.  Over seventy people attended a delightful barbecue in the grounds of the Scout Headquarters, where we ate an informal Sunday lunch and played garden games.  The annual petanque challenge took place with skilful avoidance of the horseshoe throwing competitors.  The sun tried very hard to shine that day and we were very pleased to welcome a new family who joined the Twinning Association at the event.

A few members were able to meet their French families during the holidays.  One French couple joined a Bransgore family holiday in Brittany for two days.  Another family, en route to their summer break, stayed over night in Normandy with their twinned family.  The members of the two twinning groups keep in touch with one another in many ways throughout the year.

The new season began with eight members taking part in the Village Quiz.  We would like to thank Jane Safe and her enthusiastic and hard working team for such an entertaining evening.  The next social event will be a Skittles Supper at The Social Club in Burnt House Lane on Saturday, 18th October 2008.  Please contact the numbers below for tickets.  As this is a very popular event it will be necessary to book places early to avoid disappointment.  The autumn and winter programme will include quizzes run by various area Twinning Associations and the twice yearly area committee meeting in Lyndhurst.  This brings together representatives from the New Forest towns and villages and helps us to support one another in our links with European groups.

Our Christmas party will take place with a French theme on 15th December, after which we shall begin to plan for our visit to St Georges Montcocq at the beginning of May 2009.  We are always delighted to welcome new members and there are French families waiting to twin with Bransgore residents.  Please contact J. Laugher on 01425 674230 for a membership form.  Subscription is only £15.00 a year for a family and £7.50 for an individual. Fund raising enables us to entertain our guests when they visit.  We now travel to France as a group to keep all costs low.  Single people; couples of all ages and family groups will all enjoy friendship and conviviality here and in Normandy.

Our Autumn and Winter season began with a highly successful Skittles Supper which was held at The Social Club in Burnt House Lane. We always try to use Village enterprises for our events and once again the excellent suppers were prepared by the staff at Bransgores Fish and Chip shop.
 
The programme continues with quizzes run by the area Twinning Associations and local charities.  The fun of the Christmas Party will be followed by the start of detailed planning for our visit to St Georges Montcocq at the beginning of May 2009. Bransgore Village will host the New Forest Twinning Associations annual skittles competition in February 2009.  Teams will converge at The Social Club in Burnthouse Lane to use the alley and to compete for the trophy which is held by the Bransgore Twinning Association.  The AGM will take place in the late winter and will be followed by a social evening; tickets will be available from all Committee members.

We are really delighted to welcome five new members from the Normandy village.  A family has been twinned with a young couple who are our second generation twinners. There are other French families waiting to twin with Bransgore residents.  Please contact J. Laugher on 01425 674230 for a membership form.  Subscription is only £15.00 a year for a family and £7.50 for an individual.  Fund raising enables us to entertain our guests when they visit.  We travel to France as a group to keep all costs low.   Single people; couples of all ages and family groups will all enjoy an ambience of friendship and conviviality here and in Normandy.

This year has marked a quarter of a century of civic visits between Bransgore and St Georges Montcocq.

The two villages have been associated now for nearly three decades and regular visits have been taking place on either side of the channel to mark the link between us. Bransgore Twinning Association welcomes guests into our homes on behalf of the entire village and this year we celebrated in style. We were delighted to invite representatives of our political, spiritual and social life in Bransgore to an evening at Thorney Hill Community Centre in the company of some forty guests from France. The Community Church and the Methodist Church were represented by their leaders and the Vicar sent his best wishes, having a prior commitment.  The Chair of the New Forest District Council, Cllr Pat Wyeth received the greetings of the Mayor of St Georges Montcocq and she and her husband Derek, mingled with our guests throughout the evening.

A glorious May evening held the light and the heat and we all enjoyed a reception in the garden before a memorable Hog Roast.  The formalities included the presentation to every member of the Bransgore Association of a dvd of village life in St Georges Montcocq.  It was screened throughout the evening and it was great fun to recognise long standing friends and well known places. Our Life President, Jeffrey Green and Mme Salliot, whose husband instigated the link between our two villages; cut a cake to celebrate this important achievement. Ninety members and guests sang both National Anthems and shared grace before enjoying a meal together.

The evening ended with singing and dancing. French and English action songs, nursery rhymes and traditional rounds were taught to both young and old. Gordon Hadden choreographed the music from his key board and Noreen Price’s beautiful voice enthralled us as she sang some well loved French songs. Our guests were amused to learn the intricacies of the “hokey cokey” as we closed the evening in traditional style.

Each year we pic nic together, our venue this year was Upton Country Park. Lunch was followed by walks in the grounds and visits to the hide. The young Bransgore members taught the French children how to play rounders using equipment lent kindly by Sopley School. A very enthusiastic group spent the afternoon playing boules against the Dorset Petanque League. Jim Crisp organised the team and presented each French player with a sash to wear. His granddaughter Ellen-Rose had helped to make badges for all and a truly memorable afternoon was spent in glorious weather.

Before the departure of our guests at the end of a whirlwind week end a group of children from the school in St Georges Montcocq presented Barbara Houston from Sopley School, with a delightful book they had made. Each family was then given a red rose bush to represent St George as a memento of the twenty fifth visit between the two villages.

The Twinning Association summer social events continued with a barbeque held at Scout HQ. This is an informal annual event and a great way to enjoy Sunday lunch together.

Planning has already started for our visit to Normandy during the May Day week end in 2011.We will be delighted to welcome new members; several French families are hoping to meet new Bransgore twinners. You do not have to be a member of a family group. Both Associations have singles, couples and even extended families as members. Social events take place throughout the year, please contact me for details or contact J. Laugher on 01425 674230 for a membership form.  Subscription is only £15.00 a year for a family and £7.50 for an individual.  Fund raising enables us to entertain our guests when they visit Bransgore making each visit accessible to all.

Bonsoir and thank you all for coming to the 2011 Annual General Meeting of Bransgore Twinning Association.

I am delighted to welcome our newest member Adam John Harris who was born on February 25. We also welcome to the Association Moreen and Tony Green who joined us during the course of the year.  They have been twinned with M and Mme Cazals.  Barbara Cazals has been teaching English to our twinned group.  I am pleased to be able to tell you we now have 53 members twinned with St Georges Montcocq.  We have 2 infant members and 5 junior members under sixteen years of age and two students.

Another very active year began with our AGM and Spring Supper. The Speaker was  a wine merchant from Ringwood who led us through the intricacies of drinking the correct wine at all times. The evening was great success and the talk and delicious meal were enjoyed by some sixty guests.

We sent a timely welcome card to St Georges Montcocq on April 23rd.  The Mayor was delighted to receive a special greetings card on St Georges Day and confirmed that all arrangements for their visit to us were in place.  Last year we celebrated 25 years of twinning visits. I think that this is a remarkable achievement.
 
Once again a group of adults and children travelled from Normandy to join us for the week-end.  The village school in St Georges had prepared a wonderful greeting which they presented to Barbara Houston to take to Sopley School.  We had been asked to show our guests more of the locality this year and so the week end was based around the village and the Poole area.  Our celebratory evening in the Community Centre at Thorney Hill was truly memorable.  It was a real delight to drink Pimms in the evening sunshine before the meal began.  Our decision to have a caterer was so worthwhile.  Many of our guests tried baked potatoes for the first time.  The roast hog and salads were perfect for a summers evening. We are trying to become more informal year by year and speeches were kept to the minimum.  M le Maire, Jean-Yves Laurence delighted us with his impressive command of English, has taken part in the newly formed English group at St Georges.

This year each family was given a DVD of life in St Georges Montcocq.  It was a polished, professional set of images which we were able to project onto a screen throughout the evening. As we were celebrating a milestone event ~ 25 years of visits to one another is a real achievement.  We invited representatives of village life to join us. We were pleased to welcome members of the village Ministry.  Unfortunately no members of the Parish Council responded to our invitation.  We were delighted to welcome Pat Wyeth and her husband in the week she became the Chair of New Forest District Council.  A celebration cake was baked by Judy Laugher and erupted in showers of candlelight as the cake was cut by Jeffrey Green, our Life President and Mme Salliot whose husband Maurice forged the link between our villages.  Our guests really appreciated that we know the words of the French National Anthem, which together with our National Anthem was sung just before the meal.

We entertained our guests with a very successful musical evening.  Noreen Price delighted our guests with a medley of well known French songs. It was such fun to teach one another action songs and thanks go to Pete Harris for the way in which he involved so many of the French children.  Thanks go to Mark Davies for projecting all the words of the songs onto a screen.

Our Sunday visit to Upton Country Park on a glorious day was a great success.  The annual picnic was great fun; sitting as a group and enjoying one anothers company. It was a real delight to see Lauren Bennett and Georgia and Oliver England teaching bemused french children how to play rounders.  Adults and children together enjoyed a boisterous time.  I would like to thank Sopley School for their generosity in lending us the equipment.  A real highlight of the day was the Petanque game organised by the Dorest Petanque League. Jim and Daphne Crisp and their granddaughter Ellen Rose prepared name badges, and team sashes. Jim and Daphne liaised with the Dorset players and visited the park to make sure that all arrangements were in hand.  I was so delighted when I found that particular contact, especially when I discovered that Alan Lings daughter and his grandchildren live in Bransgore!

It is always sad to wave goodbye to our guests, but I am sure that they all appreciated the red roses of St George which we gave them to take home.  We rounded off the week end with an open invitation to Ty Gwyn, Godwinscroft where we toasted our guests as the sun went down.  My thanks go to Richard Evans for photographing the events of the weekend and for preparing such a wonderful display on the web site.  It is at this point that I am pleased to be able to tell you that Richard has updated our web site and will soon announce when it will go live.  I have had a preview, it is very impressive.

Our social and fund-raising events continued throughout the year.  A summer barbeque, held here at Scout Headquarters was a very entertaining way to enjoy Sunday lunch.  My thanks go to our two expert chefs, Jim Crisp and Spike Laugher, who not only cook, but supply all the equipment each year.  Thanks go also to all of those who shop, cook, plan, prepare, serve and tidy at each event.  It is at this point that I would like to thank Barbara Evans for all that she does to keep our finances in order as well as being so involved in all our preparations.  During the course of the summer we were delighted to receive a cheque from the Parish Council in support of the link between the two villages.

September saw us in a social mood again as we met to spend a Saturday evening together.  I would like to thank the Scout Association at this point for the generous support they give us in lending their Headquarters to us three times a year.  We spent an autumn evening together enjoying an American Supper and being taxed by a tricky French themed quiz.  Particular thanks go to Jane safe for all her hard work in both preparing and presenting the quiz.  November saw us in fund-raising mood again as we held our annual fish and chips and skittles supper.  Sixty people met at the Community Centre in Thorney Hill. Many of the players were guests, friends and family of Bransgore twinners.
 
Our Noel Soiree was curtailed by poor weather, a great disappointment to us all.  We continue to take part in quizzes throughout the district.  This year one of the teams did particularly well at the Village Quiz.
 
All of this success is due to team work and I would like to thank our Life President, Jeff Green for the way in which he supports me and for his guidance at committee meetings. I would like to thank Spike Laugher, our secretary, who keeps us all up to date with minutes and notices.  I really appreciate his support.  I would also like to express my thanks to all members of the Committee, for their hospitality at Committee meetings and the way in which they give so generously of their time.  2010 to 2011 was another memorable year for Bransgore twinning Association.

Judith Allebon ~ Chair
 

This year has marked a quarter of a century of civic visits between Bransgore and St Georges Montcocq.

The two villages have been associated now for nearly three decades and regular visits have been taking place on either side of the channel to mark the link between us.  Bransgore Twinning Association welcomes guests into our homes on behalf of the entire village and this year we celebrated in style.  We were delighted to invite representatives of our political, spiritual and social life in Bransgore to an evening at Thorney Hill Community Centre in the company of some forty guests from France.  The Community Church and the Methodist Church were represented by their leaders and the Vicar sent his best wishes, having a prior commitment. The Chair of the New Forest District Council, Cllr Pat Wyeth received the greetings of the Mayor of St Georges Montcocq and she and her husband Derek, mingled with our guests throughout the evening.

A glorious May evening held the light and the heat and we all enjoyed a reception in the garden before a memorable Hog Roast.  The formalities included the presentation to every member of the Bransgore Association of a dvd of village life in St Georges Montcocq.  It was screened throughout the evening and it was great fun to recognise long standing friends and well known places. Our Life President, Jeffrey Green and Mme Salliot, whose husband instigated the link between our two villages; cut a cake to celebrate this important achievement. Ninety members and guests sang both National Anthems and shared grace before enjoying a meal together.

The evening ended with singing and dancing. French and English action songs, nursery rhymes and traditional rounds were taught to both young and old. Gordon Hadden choreographed the music from his key board and Noreen Prices beautiful voice enthralled us as she sang some well loved French songs.  Our guests were amused to learn the intricacies of the hokey cokey as we closed the evening in traditional style.

Each year we pic nic together, our venue this year was Upton Country Park. Lunch was followed by walks in the grounds and visits to the hide.  The young Bransgore members taught the French children how to play rounders using equipment lent kindly by Sopley School.  A very enthusiastic group spent the afternoon playing boules against the Dorset Petanque League.  Jim Crisp organised the team and presented each French player with a sash to wear.  His granddaughter Ellen-Rose had helped to make badges for all and a truly memorable afternoon was spent in glorious weather.

Before the departure of our guests at the end of a whirlwind week end a group of children from the school in St Georges Montcocq presented Barbara Houston from Sopley School, with a delightful book they had made.  Each family was then given a red rose bush to represent St George as a memento of the twenty fifth visit between the two villages.

The Twinning Association summer social events continued with a barbeque held at Scout HQ.  This is an informal annual event and a great way to enjoy Sunday lunch together.

Planning has already started for our visit to Normandy during the May Day week end in 2011.  We will be delighted to welcome new members; several French families are hoping to meet new Bransgore twinners.  You do not have to be a member of a family group.  Both Associations have singles, couples and even extended families as members.  Social events take place throughout the year, please contact me for details or contact J. Laugher on 01425 674230 for a membership form.  Subscription is only £15.00 a year for a family and £7.50 for an individual.  Fund raising enables us to entertain our guests when they visit Bransgore making each visit accessible to all.

This year we began our autumn and winter programme early with A French Farce in September.  Members gathered at Scout HQ in Burnt House Lane for a Saturday evening of great entertainment and fun. Several members presented plays in French to our audience. The youngest twinners introduced each play and we all were amused at both the costumes selected and the panache with which lines were delivered. An American Supper was served and an enthusiastic encore means that we shall have a similar evening again soon.

A highly successful Skittles Supper took place in November in the new venue of Thorney Hill Community Centre.  Wherever possible we like to use Village enterprises for our events and once again the excellent suppers were prepared by the staff at Bransgores Fish and Chip shop.  To say that Twinning Events are a team effort is to put it mildly. Members of the Committee delegated family and friends to help prepare the hall, serve the meal and tidy up after the event. Grandchildren were volunteered to help put up the pins, collect and serve our fish and chips.

Throughout the winter months we enter new Forest Association Twinning Association and local charity quizzes.  We plan to hold a candlelit Christmas Soiree at which we will sing French carols and play French themed parlour games.  We have already started the very detailed planning for the 21-24th May 2010 when our guests from St Georges Montcocq will represent their village and we will invite them to our homes on behalf of Bransgore Village.  The two villages have been twinned so successfully that next year’s visit will be the 25th Annual Twinning Week End shared by Bransgore and St Georges Montcocq.
 
Members of the Association will be travelling to Hythe in February for a close encounter in a skittles alley.  There is a strong link between all The New Forest Twinning Associations with formal committee meetings and social events being arranged by different groups.
 
Our AGM will take place on March 6th 2010 when we will be hosting a French themed meal and will enjoy a wine tasting evening. Tickets will be available from all committee members.  We were delighted to welcome new members during the summer.  Single people, couples and families are all welcome.  Please contact J. Laugher on 01425 674230 for a membership form.  Subscription is only £15.00 a year for a family and £7.50 for an individual.  Fund raising enables us to entertain our guests when they visit Bransgore.