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RADLETT -
ALDENHAM
Radlett,
charmante cité résidentielle baigné par le Letch, est située dans le
Hertsfordshire, à une vingtaine de kilomètres de Londres.
Aldenham,
qui jouxte Radlett, est un hameau paisible doté d'une très belle église et
d'écoles très réputées.
A Radlett
même, belles demeures, parcs, jardins fleuris, et tout autour de Radlett, bois,
champs et fermes, parcours de golf, terrain de cricket ou rugby incitent çà la
détente et à la flânerie.
Commerces
animés, pubs et vielles maisons bordent la grand rue de Radlett qui la traverse
de part en part.
Radlett
possède, installés sur de grands domaines, de nombreux collèges souvent très
chics, aux bâtiments imposants et fréquentés par des élèves venus du monde
entier.
C'est une cité où il fait bon vivre ; les associations y sont très nombreuses et
très actives.
Aldenham Parish Council :
http://aldenham-pc.gov.uk/ Aprés 33 ans de jumelage, Aldenham Parish Council
et RAIFA ont décidés officiellement
d'arrêter leurs activités de jumelage avec
Louveciennes et la ville allemande de Lautertal au 31 décembre 2016. A Radlett, Le 15 octobre 2016,
Benoit Dujardin a participé à une cérémonie de fin de jumelage. Vous
trouverez ci-dessous le discours prononcé à cette occasion. Chers amis de Radlett, dear friends from Radlett, Last
time I had the opportunity to stand in front of you and to make a speech, it was
back in 2008 for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the
twinning of our two cities: Radlett and Louveciennes. Our
friendly relationship is now 33 year old (the age of the Christ when he died…) 33
years, that’s one third of a century. It may seem a blink of an eye, but it is
an eternity. The world in which we live today has very little in common with the
world of 1984 when the twinning was initiated. Twinning's
in Europe have been founded with the noble idea to build strong relationships
between countries that have been each other’s best enemies for centuries. The
French and the Brits have been sitting like cats and dogs for centuries. Germany
and France have been fighting since the middle of the 19th century.
The construction of Europe has achieved a great result: reconciling the former
enemies and teaching them how to live together. Twinning cities and villages
throughout Europe was an efficient way to implement these brilliant principles
among the population and to encourage personal encounters and individual
initiatives. Without mentioning language learning… In
1984, France and Britain still looked exotic to each other. 33
years later, a blink of an eye later or an eternity later, we live in another
world. The digital revolution has changed our habits and our environment, shrunk
our big planet to the dimensions of a global village and turned our European
ambitions into globalization. Great
Britain is not an island anymore; easyJet takes us anywhere for a few quids;
Shakespeare’s language has become universal thanks to the internet; Skype or
WhatsApp allow us to chat with our friends and relatives no matter if they live
next door or down under. Having
said that, it comes as no surprise that the concept of the twinning has been
ageing and isn’t attractive anymore to the new generations. And it had to come
to an end. But
we can be proud about what we have achieved during these 33 years. So many
stories to tell, so many good memories to share. And the satisfaction to have
actively supported this movement of pan-European friendship. I
would like to thank all of those who have participated and contributed to this
adventure, those who have hosted and welcomed people from Louveciennes in their
homes, who have dedicated their time and their efforts to make it happen. It
is over now, and curiously enough (or should I say sadly enough?) this
“TWEXIT” happens just a few months after the Brexit. The British people have
voted, and their choice must be respected. Let’s hope that this will not harm
the friendly relationships between our respective countries. To
finish on a more positive note, I am more than happy to see that our twinnings
with our German twin city (Meersburg am Bodensee) and with our Romanian twin
city (Vama) keep going. It is so important for France and Germany to be close
and to keep Europe moving forward. And from a more personal point of view, I’m
very glad to see that the end of the twining will not terminate the sincere
friendship between members from our respective twinning associations: RAIFA and
CJL. Thanks
again to all. The twinning is dead, long live the twinining! Le
jumelage est mort! Vive le jumelage! |