A new Church in Abingdon Church twinning banner is being shown at the different churches in Abingdon, starting at Trinity last week. It will also be taken to church twin town events. The first such event is where Abingdon Church Twinning hosts Abingdon’s twin towns for the long weekend from Thursday 27th to Monday 31st October 2022 to share in and discuss the ecological theme ‘Christian Stewardship of the Environment.’

Events will include:

1) Reports from each twin town about their ecological developments (and the John Ray Initiative)
2) Five Eco groups talking about their work.
3) A talk about the Heat Source at Peachcroft Christian Centre.

In 1961, the International Union of Local Authorities proposed a link between Abingdon and Bergen-op-Zoom in Holland. Exchanges of school children and young people took place.

In 1970, when the International Friendship estate in South Abingdon was built, one road was called Bergen Avenue. Bergen was an associate town, rather than a twin town, in the towns listed by the Abingdon (Town Friendship) Society in the 1970 Abingdon Directory. In the 1980 directory, Bergen was no longer listed among the associate towns for The Abingdon & District International Friendship Society.

A sign on the International Friendship estate in South Abingdon lists twin towns(T) and associate towns(A).

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP
The roads on this estate
are named after towns
in partnership with
Abingdon
ARGENTAN CLOSE(T). BERGEN AVENUE(A)
COROMANDEL(A). LUCCA DRIVE(T)
SCHONGAU CLOSE(T)
ST NIKLAAS CLOSE(T). VIRGINIA WAY(A)
MAY 1970

For more information about Town Twinning visit Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society. Information about the Bergen association is from the book To the Seventies – Two decades of achievement in Abingdon and District. That book also says that Abingdon became friendly with St Niklaas thanks to Mr Peter Marsh, Headmaster of St Nicolas School. St Niklaas already had links with Colmar, Lucca, and Shongau, and welcomed Abingdon into that European Community.

We planned a holiday in Tuscany in the spring of 2020. Covid closed down North Italy before anywhere in Europe. So this was a postponed trip.

Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca. His house forms part of the Lucca tourist trail.

I filmed this man, who could play the cello and sing, singing “Nessun Dorma”, an aria from Puccini’s opera Turandot.

It was a lively place with a hubbub outside our window on the Via Roma until midnight.

On Sunday morning, along with many local people, we walked around the ramparts of the old Roman town of Lucca. Some walked, some jogged, others cycled, some singly, a lot on hired four-person pedaloes. There were some great views.

But then, at one point, about 150 Vespa-style motorcycles came by, led by Vespa Club Lucca. They were joined by Vespas from other towns, with a lot of waving and beeping of horns.

We also visited Lucca Cathedral, where some famous artworks can be viewed. There were also visitors on bikes.

There are a lot of churches in Lucca. Abingdon used to have a lot of pubs. Lucca still has a lot of church buildings. This one, near the Catherdral, had an exhibition with trees and roots turned into art.

There is an oval-shaped area based on a Roman Amphitheatre in Lucca. People were eating and drinking all the way around. Lucca does seem to be a fascinating historical and cultural place. We only had a day and a half in Lucca. In hindsight, more time in Lucca and less in Florence.

Twin town Lucca is in emergency isolation, like the rest of Italy, until 3rd April at least, because of the Coronavirus. Council offices are operating but not open to the public. The Mayor has had the virus (or at least that is how google translate renders Vista la positività del sindaco ai test sul Coronavirus … The famous medieval walls are closed to avoid gatherings. To go to work or move for health reasons a self-certificate is needed to be presented to officials overseeing the emergency. There is an absolute ban on movement for those under quarantine or who have tested positive for coronavirus.

If everything returns to relative normality by the end of June then the 23rd summer festival in Lucca will be headlined by Paul McCartney. This event looks very big. Bob Dylan performed in the first Summer concert in 1998, and The Rolling Stones in 2017.

Lucca is a bigger place than Abingdon. The town twinning with Lucca happened because of Mr John Jones. He wrote a history of the City in Italian and English.

As an officer in the Royal Artillery Mr Jones served in Italy in World War II, and took part in the liberation of Lucca in 1944. He loved the City and returned many times and became an unofficial ambassador, and an honorary citizen of the City. Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca and Mr Jones loved his Operas. His early attempts to speak Italian, in a not very comprehensible but very charming way, made him many friends.

In Abingdon he became a well known local politician. He was Mayor of Abingdon in 1966, and Chairman of the Vale of White Horse in 1989, and became a Freeman of the town of Abingdon. In 1986 he was given the O.B.E by her Majesty the Queen.

He organised the twinning with Lucca in 1972. He was also honoured in twin town Colmar, in France, and Schongau, in Germany, for furthering European understanding.