Reluctant no’ to Polish twin town

AN offer to twin with a fourth town in Europe has been reluctantly declined by Huntingdon Town Council. A council meeting on Thursday heard that Miechow, in the south of Poland, with a population of about 15,000, wanted to twin with Huntingdon, which is a

AN offer to twin with a fourth town in Europe has been reluctantly declined by Huntingdon Town Council.

A council meeting on Thursday heard that Miechow, in the south of Poland, with a population of about 15,000, wanted to twin with Huntingdon, which is already twinned with Wertheim in Germany, Szentendre in Hungary and Salon de Provence in France.

The Mayor of Miechow wrote

to Huntingdon describing his town as a quiet and unpolluted farming area. It well known for its plantations of vegetables, serving as the centre for healthcare, education, trade and politics for numerous neighbouring villages.

He said the town also prided itself on its historic tradition and monuments, including the 13th century Basilica of the Guardians of the Holy Sepulchre. It is near, Krakow, seat of the former Polish monarchy, Wadowice, the home of the late Pope John Paul II, and Osweicim (or Auschwitz) the biggest Nazi concentration camp during the Second World War.

The Mayor of Huntingdon, Councillor Jeff Dutton, told the meeting: "We are already twinned with three towns and it is hard enough to keep up with those. We have to limit the expense to the taxpayer but we would like to think that there will be a friendship link in the future."

Malcolm Lyons, chairman of the Huntingdon and Godmanchester Twinning Association, said he agreed that twinning was a costly process.

"We would have liked to make the link because we have a number of Polish people in Huntingdon but we are all volunteers and to do it properly and bring cultural groups to the town takes up resources we do not have at the moment."

Mr Lyons said there had been a suggestion of twinning but not a formal approach from Gubbio in Italy, in Perugia.