HUNTINGDON and Godmanchester officially have FOUR twin towns after the mayors met counterparts from Gubbio to sign the charter.

The Hunts Post: Huntingdon Twinning ceremony with Italian town Gubbio, Mayors (l-r) Diego Guerrini and Colin HyamsHuntingdon Twinning ceremony with Italian town Gubbio, Mayors (l-r) Diego Guerrini and Colin Hyams (Image: Archant)

A delegation of more than 30 representatives from the Italian town – along with visitors from two of the towns’ other twins of Wertheim in Germany and Salon de Provence in France – arrived in the UK on Friday.

The Hunts Post: Huntingdon Twinning ceremony with Italian town Gubbio, Mayors (l-r) Diego Guerrini and Colin HyamsHuntingdon Twinning ceremony with Italian town Gubbio, Mayors (l-r) Diego Guerrini and Colin Hyams (Image: Archant)

Members from Szentendre in Hungary, the final twin, were not able to make the trip.

Gubbio mayor Diego Guerrini, 33, told The Hunts Post: “I am delighted to be signing the document that brings all four towns’ twinning associations together. This has been possible due to the hard work by the towns for the last 10 years.”

Mr Guerrini, visiting Britain for the first time, added: “My first impressions are that this is a friendly community and a warm community. It is also a welcoming community and also is one of tidiness.”

He signed charters in both Godmanchester and Huntingdon. The visitors also toured Ely Cathedral and Oliver Cromwell’s house, before a dinner at Wood Green Animal Shelter, Godmanchester, hosted by Huntingdon and Godmanchester town councils and the twinning association.

Association chairman Malcolm Lyons said: “The visit went very well. Four Italian teachers stayed on and went around Huntingdonshire Regional College. They met principal Susanne Stent and vice-principal Anne Phillips to compare the education systems between the colleges here and over there.”

Mr Lyons said the links with Italy had helped Huntingdon’s senior schools. Hinchingbrooke and St Peter’s were taking part in the Leonardo da Vinci Programme of education and training projects funded by the European Commission and students will be travelling to Gubbio on Monday.

Huntingdon mayor Councillor Colin Hyams said: “It’s not about this generation of people in Huntingdon. I see it not for the next but our children’s children.

“The point of the twinning is for broadening people’s views and, having been to Szentendre, Salon de Provence and Wertheim, it certainly has opened my eyes.”