THIS year the Bridgwater Twinning Conference was spread over a weekend with St George's Day as its focus. The EU Flag flew alongside the flag of St George over Bridgwater Town Hall and guests from five nations dropped in to talk internationalism.

"With five twin towns, (La Ciotat- France, Homberg-Germany, Uherske Hradiste-Czech Republic, Marsa-Malta, Priverno-Italy) Bridgwater leads the way in modern day Internationalism around Somerset and this is the second year we've held a Twinning Conference," said organiser Cllr Brian Smedley.

Organiser, Town Council Leader Brian Smedley said: "But when we say 'conference' what we really mean is the opportunity to meet the people that run the twinning groups in town and some visitors from our twin towns."

Playing four gigs around the area, Italian rockabilly band After Dark, from Bridgwater's newest twin town Priverno, just south of Rome in the Lazio region, were a sensation.

The three-piece played at the Pebbles Inn, Watchet, Bridgwater College, and the CICCIC centre in Taunton as well as the main event at the Bridgwater Arts Centre.

On Saturday, April 23 the focus shifted to the Town Hall where several stalls from the different countries were set up offering food, drink, brochures and a chat from each of the twin towns.

German Town Guards in medieval blue carnivalesque costumes greeted visitors and the Czechs offered plum brandy and pork scratchings, Italians had brocoletti and olive oil, French fish soup and various Maltese and German delicacies.

In the evening the main twinning party at the Bridgwater Arts Centre which featured an eclectic UN Peacekeeping force opening with Mayor Redman on stage surrounded by the German guards, moving into the French group singing the sentimental Charles Trenet ballad 'Douce France' and followed by the Czechs demonstrating their Moravian folk music.

On Sunday it was the turn of Bridgwater's French Twins La Ciotat to have the spotlight on them and so we hosted a garden party for anyone interested in getting involved with next years celebrations.

Then on Monday it was the turn of the Maltese. The Marsa twinning group held an event at the Cannington walled gardens where a special Maltese National flower 'The Ears of the Sea' was planted by councillor Dom Spenser and is now on permanent display in their greenhouse.

Cllr Brian Smedley said:"The weekend was a great success and I would like to thank everyone for working so hard to make it happen.

"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."