During the August bank holiday this year around 30 residents of Raglan and surrounding villages paid our first official visit to Parcé sur Sarthe.  We had all heard about how beautiful the village is and how friendly the residents are but we were all surprised by how enjoyable the weekend turned out to be.

Even official business does not remain too serious for long when Jacques Estival, Mayor of Parcé, is on stage. And so, after 4 years of "courtship" the two villages "were married" at a civil ceremony outside the town hall.  Richard Moorby from Raglan Community Council added his signature to each copy of the twinning contract, one of which will be on display in various locations in the village over the coming months.

Both communities were honored to have Mme Penolope Fillon as official patron of the twinning.  Penelope is the wife of the immediate past French Prime Minister, François Fillon, she now lives just outside Parcé but is from Llanover, Abergavenny and used to buy her snacks in Raglan on her way to Monmouth where she went to school.

At the same official ceremony, new road signs were unveiled by Penelope Fillon announcing, to everyone entering the village, that Parcé sur Sarthe is twinned with Raglan.  The town council wasted no time in putting the new signs in place so that we were able to take our souvenir photos to show back home how smart they look.

We are very pleased to announce that Raglan Community Council are confident that Raglan will have similar signs at all the major entrances to the village in the next month or so. 

This is a good place to remind everyone in the Raglan area that membership of the Raglan Twinning Association is free when you tell us your email address so that we can keep you posted on news and forthcoming events.  Have a look on the Contact page to find out who to email to get started.

Du pain, du vin, des femmes!  Cheryl Morgan and two friends from Seattle, USA enjoying a traditional French meal at the Raglan Arms, Llandenny.

It was all in aid of raising awareness and funds for Raglan Twinning Association on Thursday 8th November.  On the menu were moules frites, (mussels and chips!) with wine, bread etc. all adding to the French atmosphere. 

The evening was a great success as more than 70 people all sat down together to enjoy the traditional French seaside dish.  Congratulation are in order to Giles Cunliffe and his team at the Raglan Arms.