Category Archives: twinning

P.S. on Church Twinning – Gift of a Painting of Abingdon

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Last night, the church twinning groups gathered at St Edmund’s for a closing service. Among those present were visitors from Sint-Niklaas (Belgium), Argentan (France), and Schongau (Germany), along with host families, organisers, and local church leaders.

After the service, there was time to chat and enjoy refreshments together and the chance to try out handbells.

The visitors (from all three towns but coordinated by Sint Niklaas) presented a painting they had purchased: a view of St Helen’s Church and wharf by George Vicat Cole. Executed in oil and pencil on board, the work dates to around 1880, a period when Cole devoted himself to a series of Thames views from source to sea. It is a very generous gift.

Abingdon Celebrates 25 Years of Church Twinning

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The Abingdon Church Twinning group are marking 25 years of church twinning this weekend. Visitors have come from Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, Argentan in France, and Schongau in Germany.

On Friday, visitors had a chance to explore Oxford or Blenheim Palace, followed by a supper featuring Shepherd’s Pie — in six or seven varieties. One vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie was brought in a cycle-basket by Richard. Shepherd’s Pie was followed by strawberries and cream, which may explain one Abingdon supermarket being low on strawberries today.

On Saturday, the group toured Abingdon. Although they didn’t get to see the Abingdon Air and Country Show, they could hear the aircraft buzzing about and imagine the scene from our  descriptions.

On Sunday, the weekend will draw to a close with a goodbye service and a reception at St Edmund’s Church, after a day with their host families.

Belgium Chocolates and Santa Claus: A BBC programme from Abingdon’s Twin Town – Sint Niklaas

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Today’s episode of “Inside the Factory” watched the production of Guylian’s iconic seashell-shaped pralines.

This renowned Belgian chocolate brand makes their chocolates in Sint-Niklaas, Abingdon’s twin town.

The episode also explored the origins of Santa Claus. He has his roots in Sinterklaas, a Belgian character inspired by Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century Christian bishop renowned for his generosity, particularly towards children and the poor.

December 6th, the feast day of Saint Nicholas, became a day for gift-giving in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Dutch settlers brought the Sinterklaas tradition to America in the 17th century. His name was anglicised to “Santa Claus,” and over time, the character evolved (got reindeer instead of a horse), and brought presents on December 25th (not the eve of December 6th). The modified version of Santa Claus came back to Europe, partly thanks to Coca Cola.

The town of Sint-Niklaas has a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and Abingdon has St. Nicolas Church. This shared reverence for Saint Nicholas makes a strong church and school twinning link between the two towns.

Saint Nicolas School in Abingdon celebrate their patron saint on December 6th (picture from the Abingdon Blog in 2009).

The programme was broadcast this evening on BBC 2 and can be watched on IPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b07mddqk/inside-the-factory

Abingdon Celebrates Twin Towns and Sister Cities with New Signpost

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Abingdon has unveiled a new signpost outside the Guildhall and council offices in Bridge Street. This signpost points visitors towards the town’s five twin towns and two sister cities: Abingdon, Virginia (USA) and Thames, New Zealand.

The arrows on the signpost not only indicate direction but also display the distance to each location and the national flag of the respective town or city.

The formal unveiling ceremony, held on Europe Day (May 9th, 2024), was officiated by Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Gwyneth Lewis. Plans are underway to install a new notice board near the signpost, providing further information about Abingdon’s twinning relationships.

The European flag flew over the County Hall during the day.