Truro Francophiles recently visited the city’s twin town of Morlaix in Britanny, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the special relationship between the two locations.

Groups from the Truro-Morlaix Twinning Association have found a warm welcome and continuing friendship with members in the French market town and the surrounding area. This year, 17 people from Truro spent a weekend across the channel, with a busy schedule of visits, events and food - including crêpes, a speciality of the region.

Following an overnight crossing from Plymouth with Brittany Ferries, the group arrived on the Friday morning. First on the agenda was a trip to Plouigneau’s Ecomusée, a museum housing old farm machinery, some of which is still in working order. The group saw a threshing machine and an old combine harvester at work, as well as a carpenter demonstrating the making of a wooden clog. In the courtyard, they saw a collection of historic rural buildings, including a schoolroom.

A banner and the UK and Breton flags were hung from Morlaix town hall, where the group was welcomed by the mayors of Morlaix and the neighbouring towns of St Martin des Champs and Plourin-lès-Morlaix. Rachel Killick, chair of the Truro-Morlaix Twinning Association, read a greeting from Truro mayor Cllr Carol Swain, and there was an exchange of gifts.

On Saturday evening, the Truro visitors dined at the Maison Kerdiès restaurant, overlooking the Bay of Morlaix. The following morning, hosts and visitors headed for the ancient town of Quintin, where they were shown around the castle by the proprietor and served lunch in the former stables.

That afternoon, a visit to a linen workshop and museum revealed the history of flax cultivation in the region, which supplied a thriving industry in the 19th century. Once of primary importance for clothing, household linen and sails, linen is now woven on a much smaller scale, with the raw materials now imported.

Having refuelled at the Crêperie de la Poste in Roscoff, the group returned to Plymouth. A contingent from Morlaix will make a reciprocal visit to Truro in September.

To find out more, visit truromorlaixtwinning.weebly.com