Leek Life January/February 2014 | Page 18

LEEK TWINNING ASSOCIATION European citizens unite in L ere at Leek Life magazine we have been following with interest the recent activities of the town’s Twinning Association with the latest visit of our European counterparts taking place over the Remembrance weekend back in November last year. The visit started with the arrival of the delegations from Este in Italy and Bad-Windsheim in Germany late on Thursday evening, 7th November at Leek bus station where they met with their host families. The following first full day of the trip on Friday 8th, in the morning visiting students were transported to Westwood College where they attended European workshops followed by a specially organised debate at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Offices in Stockwell Street in the afternoon. This event was chaired by town Mayor John Fisher and opened by Baroness Susan Williams. While the students were talking politics the Italian and German citizens visiting H 18 Leek Life January/February 2014 took in some regional culture with a trip to The Black Country Museum in the West Midlands for the day. Saturday 9th November started with students going to Manchester by train from Macclesfield station while the adult citizens and their hosts attended a coffee morning at Basford Hall the home of Humphrey and Judy Scott-Moncrieff. A tour of the hall was enjoyed followed by a free afternoon in Leek. The main day of the visit however came on Sunday 10th November and saw all of the Italians and Germans attend the Remembrance Day parade to St. Edwards Church, then on to The Nicholson war memorial for the laying of wreaths. It was a touching and poignant occasion as the representatives of various foreign countries came together with Leek locals to remember the two World Wars and other conflicts in not only an act of remembrance for all the lives lost but to celebrate friendship and peace across not only