MAYOR DOES GERMAN HOMEWORK

An invitation offering Brigg the chance to twin with a small town in Germany was discussed last night, in the Angel Suite, by councillors serving on our Town Council’s policy committee.
The approach from the Mayor of Waldfishbach-Burgalben, in the south-west, not far from the French border and Strasbourg, was favourably received. However, our councillors stopped short of agreeing to twin Brigg and the German town right away. They want to look into things in greater depth and learn more about how town twinning operates elsewhere. (Grasby does it and so does Broughton).
In many places, a town twinning association – separate from the town or parish council – handles the links. Our town councillors are also keen to estimate how much twinning might cost the council.
At the start of the debate, Town Mayor Coun Ben Nobbs demonstrated he had certainly done his German homework. Following receipt of a letter from his opposite number in Waldfishbach-Burgalben, our first citizen looked out a large map and plotted the place’s location so his colleagues – and the press - got a better idea of its geographical location.
He then told the meeting that links between that area of Germany and what is now Brigg’s Vale of Ancholme Technology College had been in place for 40 years, and that the German Mayor was seeking to extend that to full town twinning. “Personally, I think it’s a good idea. Brigg is not twinned with anywhere and this is a good town with which to twin,” said Coun Nobbs.
Coun Penny Smith said town twinning would mean “having to keep some money in the pot to entertain our German guests.” For Glanford Borough’s earlier twinning with Gifhorn had demonstrated “when you go over there, you get treated like royalty.”
She thought it would be a good idea to gauge public opinion through an article in the Brigg Matters newsletter, distributed to households in the town.
Coun Mike Campion agreed over the budget. “There are financial implications,” he said. “If people come here, we will have to host them.” He was a little concerned that people reading about a Brigg budget for town-twinning might start writing letters to the Telegraph about “councillors junketing.”
Coun Julian Kidd pointed out a twinning group was “usual” in such circumstances, rather than the links being organised by the local council.
Town Clerk Jeanette Woollard suggested “a lot of research” would be necessary.
A letter of acknowledgement is to be sent to the German Mayor. Meanwhile, efforts will be made to gauge public opinion in Brigg about the suggestion of town twinning.
Sigrun Klotz-Bischoff, Mayor of Waldfishbach-Burgalben, wrote to Brigg’s Mayor as follows:
“For more than 40 years there has been a lively and productive student exchange between the two schools of our communities, the Vale of Ancholme Technology and Music College in Brigg and the Comprehensive School, Intergrierte Gesamtschule and Realshule Plus) in Waldfishbach-Burgalben. The relationship gives us the change of fostering the dialogue between our cultures as well as getting to knw and holding in high esteem the things which make our regions so special.
“Thus, we would like to support the tradition which already exists between the two schools of our communities and extend this relationship in this way that a partnership between the community of f Waldfishbach-Burgalben and the community of Brigg could emerge. The people, institutions, organisations and clubs of our communities could certainly profit from it by getting to knw each other’s culture. Perhaps friendships could be formed by people or relationships could develop between clubs.”

If you wish to comment on the idea now, rather than wait for the article to appear in Brigg Matters, post a comment on this story or, if you prefer, email scoopfisher@aol.com and we will pass on the information to the Town Council for you.