COOKHAM
TWINNING
Cookham
is fortunate to be twinned with Saint Benoit a village with woods and a river near to the historic town of
Poitiers in central west France.
The village has the highest possible ranking possible of 4 fleurs (flowers) for French 'Villes Fleuris' and is the only commune in Vienne with this status. It has developed its natural environment over several years, including their 'Les Jardins des Cookham'.
Saint
Benoit is in a fascinating and beautiful area of France, with many historical
towns and villages around, some going back to medieval times. The commune is
divided into three parts with a 12th century church and with a river running
through, just like Cookham!
Poitiers
is an ancient, interesting University town and is close to the theme park 'Futoroscope'.
Cookham
has been Twinned with Saint Benoit since 1994 and has annual reciprocal visits
when we link with French friends and stay in each other's houses. In 2024 we
look forward to welcoming Saint Benoit to Cookham,
when we will host a variety of social and cultural activities. In 2023 we will
be visiting Saint Benoit and look forward, as always, to a great experience and
welcome. Saint Benoit can be reached easily by car (via Portsmouth), plane or
train.
We
also have some regular activities in Cookham. Each week there is an informal
French lunch, 'Flunch' where we have an hour or so speaking French to each
other, and members are welcome to join a monthly French film evening.
You
don't need to be a French speaker to participate in Twinning, although this is
a chance to improve your French language skills. Best of all are the
opportunities to get to know some very friendly French people and to appreciate
and enjoy the culture of France.
EVENTS
FILM NIGHTS
Twinning members are very welcome to join our monthly French film nights, 8pm at Elizabeth House.
NEWS 2025
COOKHAM SAINT-BENOIT TWINNING 2025
June 2025 - We expect to have a good-sized group of over twenty Cookham folk who will be going to the annual Twinning visit with Saint-Benoit in October, where no doubt we will be given the usual wonderful hospitality combined with interesting visits to nearby places of interest. This year the (summer) plane service to Poitiers ends while we are there, so those not going by car will enjoy a flight out and a return by train. One of the highlights is always the visit to the restaurants organised for our lunches, where we experience the best of French cuisine. Dining is still very important to the French, with the old saying that while the English eat to live, the French live to eat! And, of course, we appreciate the excellent home cooking by our Meanwhile, in Cookham we continue our weekly 'Flunches' (French lunches) where we converse in French together for an hour, either by Zoom call, or once a month at the pub. Usually on Zoom we are joined by one or more from Saint-Benoit who help us with our vocabulary and give us the latest news from there. At the time of writing, hot weather is forecast here, but it has been thirty-three degrees in Saint-Benoit. It won't be that in October for our visit, but we have been on the beach nearby on occasions. May 2025 - Only May, but we are already looking forward visiting our twinned village of Saint-Benoit from 25th-28th October this year. The details of the visit are not yet confirmed but it will start on Saturday 25th with a reception hosted by the Mayor of Saint-Benoit. Saint-Benoit is close to Poitiers, and has the highest ranking possible as a 'floral village', (ville fleurie) - similar to our Britain in Bloom competitions. It can be reached easily by air, rail or road.
During the visit, a day in and around Limoges is scheduled,where you can see the world's largest collection of wonderful Limoges porcelain, and then visit one of the nearby chateaux. Time will also be available to see Saint-Benoit,'Les Jardins de Cookham', and other parts of this lovely area of France.
If you would like to join this year's visit,please register your interest with keith_le_page@hotmail.com who can provide any further information. We will be staying with local families, but French language skills are not essential.
Another Saint-Benoit link has been established through Stanley Spencer, as a professor at Poitiers University is preparing a book (in French) on the artist, which she hopes to publish later this year. If this comes to fruition, we may be able to see an exhibition supporting the book in Saint-Benoit, not this year but in 2027.
St Benoit Visit to Cookham 2024
Letter to Saint Benoit - Brian Clews - WildCookham 2023
Cookham Twinning Visit to Saint-Benoit 2023
St Benoit Celebrates the Coronation of King Charles 2023
Cookham Twinning Visit to Cookham 2022
Cookham Twinning Visit to Cookham 2018 Cookham Twinning Visit More Photos 2016
Visit to Cookham's Twin Town - 2005
A Happy Twinning Christmas - 2003
Cookham
Society and Cookham Twinning Come Together for a Joint Christmas Party - 2002
French visitors in Cookham for 'Allo'een - 2002
Cookham Twinning celebrate Christmas - 2001
Cookham Twinning Visit St Benoit - 2001
Twinning show film Plein Soleil - 2000
MEMBERSHIP
Single (£ 12 for two year/£ 25 for 5 years)
Click
here for Application Form
For more information phone: 01628 532279 
Family (£ 20 for two year/£ 40 for 5 years)
E-Mail: keith_le_page@hotmail.com
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