WEYMOUTH residents from across the pond have met up with their Dorset counterparts, in the hope the two towns can forge even closer ties.

In 1622, just two years after the first English colony, Plymouth, was founded in North America by the Mayflower Pilgrims, the Wessagusset colony was established.

However, it was short-lived and became Weymouth, named after the Dorset town we call home, in 1635.

Now, some four centuries later, residents in Weymouth, Massachusetts, are gearing up to mark their town's milestone 400th anniversary. And they've reached out across the Atlantic in the hope Dorset residents can help them celebrate.

Yesterday at Weymouth's historic Nothe Fort, historians and business leaders from Dorset met with representatives from the American Weymouth 400 organisation.

Weymouth BID vice-chairman Ian Ferguson said: "From a BID perspective, anything that is positive and raises awareness and allows us to spread our Weymouth message is positive. Anything that brings countries together on a personal and emotional level has to be a positive thing."

There were even murmurings of a possible town twinning in the future.

Weymouth 400 chairman Jim Clarke, who worked as a town planner in the New England town for more than 30 years, stressed their project wasn't just about marking the anniversary in 2022.

"We're not just looking backwards, he told the Dorset Echo. "We are looking forwards and are hoping to involve all different types of groups.

"The purpose of us coming here today was just really to meet and greet, to say hello and let you know what we are planning to to.

"We've got an outline of what we want to accomplish, but it is still very much open for ideas.

"We are hoping some of the folks here (in Dorset) say, 'we have a neat idea, this is something we can do together.'

"We've been talking about sharing connections on the website.

"Also, we are looking at maybe playing some international soccer matches, particularly in 2022 – and we are looking at children right through to adults."

The two groups agreed to work together in the coming months and share ideas.

Mr Ferguson said: "I think this adds social texture to Weymouth - that there is another place, equally pretty, with a group of people who we share an emotional connection."