Montesson Visitors Ride The Trail

VISITORS to Thame from its twin French town of Montesson, have experienced one of the town’s most popular amenities.
As part of a weekend of shared activities, including a coach trip to the picturesque Cotswold village of Bourton-On-The-Water, some of the French visitors joined their hosts for a cycle ride along the Phoenix Trail, in the sunshine of Sunday morning.
Using borrowed bikes, the group set off from the Morton Lane crossing of the Trail, and cycled as far as Henton Crossing, stopping to learn about the sculptures along the way. Some of them enjoyed a pint of English beer in the garden of the Three Horse Shoes, in Towersey, on the return journey.
The Mayor of Montesson, Jean-francoise Bel, and his deputy, attended the Mayor’s Civic ball at the Spread Eagle, on Saturday evening.
During a farewell lunch at Thame town hall on Sunday afternoon, Thame’s Mayor, David Dodds, bravely spoke in French when he thanked the Thame host families who acccommodated the French, and wished for the continuation of the conviviality and developing relationship between Montesson and Thame.
Didier Bruzet, the Chair of Montesson’s Twinning committee, presented special diplomas to the eight Thame cyclists who cycled from Thame to Montesson over a period of three days, last September.
Members of Thame’s Twinning Association will be returning to stay in Montesson in September this year.
Information about Thame and District Twinning Association can be found on its website: http://www.thametwinning.org.uk/

Photograph: Cyclists from Thame and Montesson ‘take a breather’ by the Red Kite Seat, one of the sculptures along the Phoenix Trail.