Town council keen to extend entente cordiale

EFFORTS to extend the hand of friendship to a French town will redoubled after correspondence from the first attempt was washed away.
Barnard Castle Town Council sent a letter to the commune of Louveciennes looking to establish links between Teesdale and the settlement west of Paris last summer. But torrential rains in France last year saw their missive lost among the flood waters.
Councillors on the town partnership committee wanted to re-double efforts to get in touch with French officials as part of The Bowes Museum’s 125th anniversary.
Chairwoman of the partnership group, Cllr Judi Sutherland, said the process wouldn’t be as formal as “twinning” but it would be nice to see a delegation.
She added: “Should we resend the letter?
“The celebrations go on for 12 months so come next spring it would be nice for them to be involved and for us all to try our French out.”
Museum founders John and Josephine Bowes lived in Louveciennes for a short period of the 19th century.
The chateau they stayed in is seen as the template for the Bowes Museum.
Members agreed to resend their letter.
The town council has earmarked £2,000 to support the museum’s 125th anniversary celebrations.
A letter from Labour candidate for Teesdale’s parliamentary seat, Helen Goodman, suggested an “art feature” could be suitable to commemorate the event.
Cllr Richard Child thought a specially commissioned art piece could fit the bill while Cllr Rima Chatterjee suggested a horse-drawn carriage touring the town and ending at the museum as another idea.
Cllr Roger Peat added: “Personally I think the £2,000 needs to link the town with the museum – some way of getting people from the town into the museum and from the museum into the town to use amenities and services.”
Jane Whittaker, from the museum, said she would pass the ideas on.
The museum celebrates its 125th anniversary with a day of festivities on June 10.