BRIDGWATER is celebrating international relationships with towns in France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Malta and Italy during Twinning Week (May 26-June 2).

Throughout the week there will be a display about Bridgwater’s fascinating twinning history at Bridgwater Library, which will be concluded with a ‘Talking Twin Town’ event on Saturday, June 2.

Also on Saturday there will be a major event at the Bridgwater Arts Centre from 7.30pm. 

The evening will feature entertainment by the globe-trotting ‘Voice of the People’ choir, a sing-a-long with the ‘Dave the Milkman Big Band’ plus on-stage presentations by twinning groups from the five countries, an Internationalist quiz and a Portuguese finger buffet provided by Bridgwater’s new mayor Cllr Diogo Rodrigues. 

Tickets cost £5 and can be bought on the door.

Last week the new mayor made a trip to the Czech Republic where he took part in an international funding conference in Bridgwater’s twin town of Uherske Hradiste and visited the Portuguese Embassy.

Cllr Rodrigues also visited the firm of Altech, a stair lift company set up by Antonin Machala who, along with Brian Smedley, started the twinning link.

Cllr Rodrigues said: “Altech will be fitting a new stair lift in Bridgwater Town Hall which will make the building fully accessible to all our visitors so it was an eye-opening experience to tour around the factory.

“I was most inspired by the humble beginnings of Antonin, the CEO of Altech, who went from working in a factory to developing his own successful company employing 250 people and doing business globally.”