Wimborne-Valognes Twinning Exhibition

The Wimborne-Valognes Twinning Association was created in 1968, and has been in existence ever since while continuing to flourish today. As a part of Wimborne being the Dorset Town of Culture for 2026, the Association is privileged and delighted to have the opportunity to stage an exhibition at Walford Mill in late September to celebrate the 58 years of successful twinning. Wimborne is twinned with Valognes, a market town in northern France just south of the port of Cherbourg.

The exhibition at Walford Mill is entitled ‘Twinning Treasures’, and will tell the story of the Association’s successful links with Wimborne’s twin town of Valognes through some historical information and artefacts, and will include some of the gifts that have been received from our twinning friends and counterparts in Valognes over the years. This includes examples of the beautiful artwork of Valognes artist Bernard Tardieu, who was president of the Valognes twinners for many years.

The twinning between Wimborne and Valognes was the brainchild of several far-sighted individuals on both sides of the Channel in the mid-1960s, including the then-Mayor of Wimborne, Henry Purchase. The twinning formally came into being in 1968, although there had been many informal contacts prior to then. During that period there was no regular cross-Channel ferry service, and so each trip to France and vice versa was an adventure in itself. Then came the 1990s and the setting-up by Brittany Ferries of a regular cross-Channel ferry service from Poole to Cherbourg, using the Barfleur ferry. In the years since that time the twinning between Wimborne and Valognes has flourished. Many friendships have been formed between members of the two twinning associations, school, sport and cultural exchanges have taken place, and there have been have been countless visits between families and individuals. In addition, every two years a delegation from Wimborne makes a formal visit to Valognes, special events take place and gifts are exchanged. Every other year a similar trip is made by a delegation from Valognes to Wimborne.

The Twinning Association is a voluntary organisation and is not an official council body. New members with an interest in France are always welcome. The exhibition will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday 25^th and Saturday 26^th September, and from 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday 27^th September. It is very kind of Walford Mill to allow us this opportunity, and so do come along if you can and support our exhibition which will be great publicity for the Twinning Association.