RESIDENTS can look back through time to witness how an Anglo-French union has been celebrated down the decades.

The new website of the Weymouth & Portland Louviers Society is now live, and shows a number of photographs.

It comes ahead of the visit of a party from the Normandy market town of Louviers, which the borough has been twinned with since 1958.

A picture of the the signing of the Twinning Charter in 1958 in Louviers, by Mayor of Weymouth & Melcombe Regis Iseult Legh and Louviers Mayor Pierre Mendes-France can be seen on the website.

The black and white photographs have recently been rediscovered in the society’s archives and show the mayor’s delegation from Weymouth on their first official visit to the Normandy twin town 59 years ago.

Mr Mendes-France had been Prime Minister of France until three years before.

The following year, on April 4 1959, the twinning was reaffirmed at a special council meeting at the Alexandra Gardens in Weymouth.

In the audience was 11-year-old Michel Hooper-Immins, one of the two surviving founder members of the society, who is today still active on the committee as the public relations officer. He has made many visits to Louviers over the years and is delighted the twinning link is not only still in place, but has strengthened in recent years.

The 39 members of the French delegation will arrive on Friday, June 2 and will be received by the new Mayor of Weymouth & Portland Kevin Brookes.

The party be led by Councillor Christian Wuilque, the Briefholder for International Relations for Louviers Town Council, on his third visit to Weymouth, representing Mayor Francois-Xavier Priollaud, who is again unable to travel to Weymouth.

The Louviers Twinning Committee has elected a new chairman, Nathalie Fizet, and she will make her first visit to Weymouth.

Following the civic reception on the Saturday, the English and French Twinning Society members will visit Athelhampton House on the Sunday.

Borough mayor Richard Kosior said: “No matter what happens with Brexit and the European Union, it must not be allowed to interfere with the twinning with Louviers."

New mayor Kevin Brookes will lead the reciprocal visit to Louviers, beginning on Wednesday, August 30

Enquiries about joining the Louviers Society should be directed to secretary Pam Nicklin on 01305 771773.

To view the new website see https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/78WWBCdMLnTM