ABERYSTWYTH will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the town’s twinning with St Brieuc with a weekend of events.

A charter twinning the Welsh and French towns was signed on Easter Saturday, 21 April, 1973, and a weekend of celebrations took place. The Cambrian News said there was “rapturous singing on the promenade at midnight on Monday”, a concert by Welsh artists at the King’s Hall on Friday, a reception, dinner and dance there on Saturday, sporting events and a trip on the train to Devil’s Bridge on Monday morning.

“Probably the most impressive of the formal events was the twinning ceremony itself in the King’s Hall on the Saturday which was attended by a gathering of some 600 people, both young and old,” the article reported. Cllr D L Evans, then mayor of Aberystwyth, told the gathering he hoped the links that were being established would last for very many years. They have indeed.

Aberystwyth is also twinned with Kronberg in Germany, Arklow, Ireland and Esquel, Argentina, and has a close relationship with Yosano, Japan, thanks to Frank Evans, a former prisoner of war. Twinning partnerships in Aberystwyth have historically been run by volunteers, but since the pandemic, the town council has taken responsibility for the St Brieuc Twinning Partnership. With a new events and partnerships officer in place, the council is also offering to support the other twinning groups.

Like Aberystwyth, St Brieuc in Brittany has a bilingual education system, university and two rivers that converge at the town’s port. The 50th anniversary of this formal friendship will be celebrated in Aberystwyth between 19 and 21 May, during the mayor making weekend. Current mayor, Talat Chaudhri, said: “Whilst it is a very special year for our friendship with St Brieuc we are delighted to be inviting all the twinning partnerships to celebrate with us, as well as witness the inauguration of Cllr Kerry Ferguson as mayor for 2023-24.

“We hope representatives from France, Germany, Ireland and South America will witness the new mayor’s inauguration as well as participate in the mayoral parade. I’m very much looking forward to welcoming them as our international friendships are more important than ever.

“Many residents in Aberystwyth will remember that in the 1980’s, as many as three bus loads of youngsters from Aberystwyth football and swimming associations and their parents, went bi-annually to St Brieuc to compete, with the Breton town returning to Aberystwyth the following year.”

Cllr Ferguson said: “The twinning partnerships are very important to Aberystwyth and the town council is proud to be able to extend some traditional warm Welsh hospitality. As well as inviting twinning partners to the official ceremony and parade, we also plan on showing them the delights our town has to offer, with visits to the castle grounds, National Library, promenade and Constitution Hill. We have even organised a Twmpath Dawns in the museum.

“We hope they will enjoy Aberystwyth so much they want to return again and again.”

To become part of the St Brieuc Twinning Committee, email [email protected].