FAMILIES from the Lydney Twinning Association travelled to Normandy recently for their annual exchange visit with Brehal.

Andrew Dean, chair of the association, said: “The visit started with a champagne reception from the Mayor of Brehal, Daniel Lecureuil, and the renewing of some old friendships.

“Following a packed day with their hosts, the Lydney families were then entertained at a celebration dinner with dancing into the early hours at a local venue.

“Once again we received a very warm welcome from our French friends in Normandy. The theme of the weekend was about maintaining the strong bonds between our two towns, seeing more of the historic sites of Normandy and, most importantly, having great fun.

“Brehal provides an excellent base for visiting the fortified coastal town of Granville, Mont-St-Michel and the D-Day memorial sites and a number of the Lydney guests were able to stay on with their French hosts for a few days to take advantage of this.

“We are expecting a large contingent of visitors when Lydney hosts the exchange event next May and we would welcome new families to join us for the fun packed weekend.”

If you would like to know more about the twinning association and want to make new friends and forge links with this part of France, visit www.lydneytwinning.org.uk