Twin towns

[Ecks Ridgehead]

So, I was driving home last night, and as I entered the OAP-strewn hinterland of Tunbridge Wells I chanced to look at the town sign:

Town Sign said:

TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Twinned with Wiesbaden

Which got me thinking: I've never been to Wiesbaden. I don't know what it's like, I don't know how big it is; hell, I don't even know where it is (though I'd hazard a guess at Germany).

Which made me wonder - have any PHers visited (either deliberately or unknowingly) the place with which their town is twinned?

[eccles]

i'm known to frequent Swansea, which was in the rather good film Twin Town, does that count?

Mumbles in Swansea is twinned with Kinsale in Eireland, and the local old car club is twinned with the corresponding one in kinsale, and every year quite few cars go over kinsale for their old car run, and a long weekend of merriment is enjoyed by all, then the Irish enjoy the same back in Swansea later in the year.

Edited by eccles on Thursday 19th October 09:03

[r5gttgaz]

I've never been to Nozay in France where our village is twinned. However they do have yearly organised trips out there and likewise for the French.

[hugoagogo]

wiesbaden, on the rhine, near frankfurt. state capital of hessen

oddly wasn't bombed that badly so still has lots of nice big town houses with fancy wrought iron balconies
became a big american base (and still is) probably because of that lack of bombing

what it has in common with tunbridge wells i dunno

[crmcatee]

it allows the local councillors a jolly at out expense to somewhere else for some strange obscure reason of partnership which only the council seem to justify internally.

You'll also find that this partnership is an annual event... or at least the jolly would be.

[Einion Yrth]

r5gttgaz said:

I've never been to Nozay in France where our village is twinned. However they do have yearly organised trips out there and likewise for the French.

Don't the French already live there?

[celticpilgrim]

Twin towns - Coventry's got shed loads of 'em!!!

While some are a bit obvious - other places called Coventry (all in US), and Dresden (both bombed to f**k during WWII), some of the others are a little more odd.

The councillors must hardly ever be home!!!!!

[Ecks Ridgehead]

Heh.

I went to Catford in Saaaaaaaaaaaaaarf London once, and I'm sure it was twinned with a town somewhere in Colombia.

I'm very tempted to visit Wiesbaden. Do you think, if I turned up and said "Guten tag, ich bin ein Tunbridgevellser", I'd be treated like a visiting dignitary?

[Raify]

I spotted Weisbaden on the train map whilst visiting Frankfurt. SWorks said it's not that exciting.... Sounds like it means White Baths or something.

[Ecks Ridgehead]

Raify said:

Sounds like it means White Baths or something.

Ah...the ol' "spa towns" connection.

[jaykaybi]

Ecks Ridgehead said:

Heh.

I went to Catford in Saaaaaaaaaaaaaarf London once, and I'm sure it was twinned with a town somewhere in Colombia.

I'm very tempted to visit Wiesbaden. Do you think, if I turned up and said "Guten tag, ich bin ein Tunbridgevellser", I'd be treated like a visiting dignitary?

Ahh, the JFK mistake....

[puggit]

I wonder how many of the Labour councillors in Reading have tripped off to Barbados to visit Speightstown?

[motco]

Denham in Bucks (home to many a 'celeb') is twinned with Shark Bay (Oz)- somehow it seems apt.

[puggit]

motco said:

Denham in Bucks (home to many a 'celeb') is twinned with Shark Bay (Oz)- somehow it seems apt.

Actually the town is called Denham Shark Bay

[grass widow]

What is supposed to be the point in twinning?

My local town is twinned with Creill in France, but have no idea why.

[Ecks Ridgehead]

grass widow said:

What is supposed to be the point in twinning?

I think officially it's to promote understanding of other cultures, but unofficially we all know it's about council jollies.

[97+04]

Yeah been on 2 school trips from 2 places I lived to the places we were twinned with.
Dijon and somewhere in Bavaria.

[DBSV8]

eccles said:

i'm known to frequent Swansea, which was in the rather good film Twin Town, does that count?

Edited by eccles on Thursday 19th October 09:03

ha ha
quote :
Dylan Thomas called Swansea "an ugly, lovely town".
I'd call it... a Pretty Shitty City

Dylan Thomas didn't do as much ing cocaine as you, did he?

[disco1]

I live in South Wales and have been to Kinsale. I can confirm 100% that that Swansea and Kinsale have nothing in common, one is a lovely small ex fishinig town with loads of character, the other is a also a seaside town but a dump accompanied by a good chance of a good kickin'

[eccles]

disco1 said:

I live in South Wales and have been to Kinsale. I can confirm 100% that that Swansea and Kinsale have nothing in common, one is a lovely small ex fishinig town with loads of character, the other is a also a seaside town but a dump accompanied by a good chance of a good kickin'

yes but Swansea isn't twinned with Kinsale, so how is your post relevant?