Hillingdon is twinned with two towns in Europe; Schleswig in Germany and Mantes-la-Jolie in France. The idea for town twinning originated after the Second World War. Foreign travel was only available to a minority and the aim of town twinning was to bring people from different European countries together through common interests such as sport, art, education and music. It promotes links and better understanding of various cultures.
The former Hayes and Harlington Urban District Council established links with Schleswig and Mantes-la-Jolie in 1958, before the formation of the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Schleswig
Schleswig is a former Viking settlement and lies just 30 miles from the Danish border on the Schlie, a long inlet of the Baltic. The skyline is dominated by the Dom St Petri, a 12th Century Lutheran cathedral. In the shadow of the Dom is Holm, a quaint fishing village. The population of Schleswig in 2011 was 23,701 and the main industries are leather and food processing.
Find out more at https://www.schleswig.de/
Mantes-la-Jolie
Mantes-la-Jolie is situated approximately 30 miles west of Paris. It is located at the edge of the Vexin Francais Regional Natural Park and has been described as ‘a town in the countryside’. Its history dates back to pre-Norman times and William the Conqueror came from this area. Between the shopping centre and the banks of the Seine is the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame; an impressive example of French Gothic Architecture built in 1170. In 2016 the population was 44,231.
Find out more at http://www.manteslajolie.fr/
Last year the Town Twinning Youth Exchange was hosted by Hillingdon and attended by young people from Hillingdon, Schleswig and Mantes-la-Jolie. Unfortunately this year’s event in Germany has been postponed. Hopefully it will go ahead in 2021 and will allow for eight young residents from Hillingdon to travel to Schleswig where they will take part in a programme of activities planned by our German hosts, alongside eight German and eight French young people. In 2022 the event will be held in Mantes-la-Jolie.
Near the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge there is a tree and a plaque celebrating 61 years of friendship with our twin towns. The tree was planted by the Mayor during the Youth Exchange in 2019.
By Carol
Hillingdon Libraries Blog 