THE local community enjoyed this year's Bridgwater Twinning Conference, spread over five days.

The event took place from April 21 to 25, in which the town celebrated being paired with the five places of La Ciotat France, Homberg-Germany, Uherske Hradiste-Czech Republic, Marsa-Malta and Priverno, Italy.

A range of entertainment was on offer, including performances from Italian rockers After Dark, as well as singing councillor Dom Spenser from Malta, a group of town guards in national costume from Germany, a businessman and a teacher from the Czech twin town and a teacher and a doctor from France.

Town mayor, Councillor Leigh Redman, said: "I was so pleased to be involved with the twinning- it was great to see representatives from our twin towns in Bridgwater each with a stall telling visitors to the town hall of the interesting and exciting things people can see and do if they visited.

"We held a skittles evening on the Friday and the twinning event was Saturday and I opened the event as Mayor welcoming the visitors.

"We are so lucky to have such wonderful twin towns- I would encourage anyone from Bridgwater to make the effort and visit one of our twin towns.

"The Saturday night event was topped of by an amazing band from or twin town in Italy.

"I want to thank everyone involved in making the whole weekend a marvellous event."

Organiser, Cllr Brian Smedley, said: "The weekend full of events was a great success and I would thank everyone for working so hard to make it happen. 
"People of many nations co-operated to put on a series of events which showcased their own cultures and respected and appreciated others.


"Twinning is a great way of making friends and bringing people of different nations closer together and shows peoples compassion and tolerance while proving that we have more in common than we have dividing us. 
"Long may it continue"