• The 2008 return Twinning visit was a great success.

Members of Bradford Peverell Twinning Association got up early on the Friday morning to meet their French friends off the morning ferry from Cherbourg.

After lunch with their hosts in the village our French guests were treated to a variety of visits to local attractions including the Maize maze, the gardens at Kingston Mauward, the village of Tyneham and the sights of Dorchester.

For others it was an opportunity to wander around Stratton or simply catch up on much wanted sleep.

Friday evening gave host families the opportunity to share supper with other Bradford Peverell and Stratton members.

Saturday morning dawned fine and there were further local visits including Monkey World, Upwey and Weymouth a good chance to catch up on news and old friends.

Thanks to the hospitality of Ian and Shirley Gibson, Stratton twinners and their guests were able to enjoy croquet and that favourite French game of boules in their garden.

Thanks to some determined fund raising, the committee decided on a group visit to the Tiverton Canal as Saturday evening's entertainment.

Leaving the village at 4'o'clock twinners, including our two new members David and Maria Ellison, took a coach to Tiverton.

Here we were given a brief history of the canal ( with French subtitles thanks to Anne Ponroy) before boarding our canal boat.

For the next two hours we were drawn by a canal horse at a relaxing pace along the Tiverton Canal.

Members had a chance to mingle over a glass and enjoyed a traditional English fish and chip supper.

On the return journey a two minute silence was called and in total darkness the sound of the horse's hooves and the gentle lapping of water made a particularly atmospheric end to the day.

Sunday morning found the twinners outside the village hall for goodbyes before the journey back to Poole.

A really successful weekend and everyone looks forward to the twinning events in 2009.