Patchway Friends of Twinning
Patchway is twinned with two towns: Clermont L'Herault in southern France and Gauting, just south of Munich.
In 2005 we celebrated 10 years of twinning with Clermont. The twinning with Gauting took place in 2002.
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In 2006 a Schools Charter was signed between the schools of the three towns pledging future co-operation and links.
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In June 2022, Gauting in Germany and Clermont-l'Hérault in France sent representatives over to Patchway in June to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Twinning between Patchway and Gauting.
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In October of 2022, the Mayor of Patchway Cllr Dayley Lawrence and residents from Patchway attended the latest Civic visit to Gauting. The exchange was a reciprocal visit to celebrate 20 years of Twinning between Patchway and Gauting.
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In May 2023, a group of students and 2 teachers from Gauting visited Patchway in order to undertake work experience at Coniston Primary School and Callicroft Primary School, and to explore Patchway and surrounding area.
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In May 2023, a delegation including the Mayor of Patchway and Friends of Twinning representatives attended the 50th Anniversary of Jumelage (Twinning) between Clermont L’Hérault and Gauting at Clermont, participating in a cultural and educational programme.
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And in July 2023, a delegation from Patchway including the Mayor and a number of teachers from Coniston Primary School attended a special twinning visit to Gauting which explored future opportunities for young people across the three towns.
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Patchway Friends of Twinning is open to all individuals, organisations and companies interested in extending their knowledge and experience of life in Europe. It aims to establish links and exchanges between individuals, organisations and companies in the Patchway area with those with similar interests in Clermont and Gauting. The Friends has a core of dedicated members and is administered by the Town Council. Friends of Twinning arranges visits to and welcomes guests from Clermont L'Herault and Gauting and organises social events for members and friends.
Clermont l'Herault
The nearest airport to Clermont is Montpelier and the town is only 40 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Clermont has a population of 7,000 and is the centre for the smaller towns and villages of the surrounding countryside. Local produce is sold every Wednesday at the street market. The theatre and cinema, together with the many clubs and organisations, cater for a wide range of sporting and cultural interests. Agriculture is the main occupation of the area. Vines and olives are important crops. Away from the nearby coast, the mountain scenery is spectacular and provides ideal opportunities for walking and climbing. The nearby Lake Salagou caters for a wide range of water sports or for people who just want to relax.
Gauting
The nearest airport to Gauting is Munich and the town is close to an area of lakes and forest in the foot hills of the German Alps. Gauting claims to be the birthplace of Charlemagne (742 AD) but possesses no medieval buildings so typical of many old German towns and villages. For many years the population of Gauting remained at around 1,000 but in the last 50 years it has increased rapidly to nearly 19,000. One of Munich's main commuter railway lines runs through Gauting and many people work in Munich. The town itself has some light industry but is surrounded by productive agricultural land. Gauting has many cultural and sporting activities and Lake Starnberg and the Alps offer a wide range of outdoor activities.