1:23pm Tuesday 2nd June 2009
THE key to sporting friendship between Basingstoke and its French twin Alencon was well and truly cemented 20 years ago.
Back then, 350 sporting competitors from Basingstoke and Deane travelled to the beautiful Norman town to take part in the annual Festival of Sport.
In May 1989, the two-day event was a poignant occasion, as it not only marked the 21st anniversary of friendship between Basingstoke and Alencon – the towns have been twinned since 1968 – but it was also the 45th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
It is therefore not surprising that the start to the busy sporting programme opened on a ceremonial note, with old soldier Jim Bennett laying a wreath of poppies in memory of the men who fought and died in two World Wars.
He was followed by Basingstoke and Deane mayor Councillor Margaret Weston, her French counterpart Alain Lambert and the French twinning president Roger Bouet, who laid flowers together in remembrance of the losses suffered by both countries.
Monsieur Lambert said: “We are building on a very old history which received a surge of energy when twinning was born.
“In the D-Day landings in Normandy, we fought together to free our territory, and although with the building of the Channel Tunnel, transport links between us will be improved, it is twinning that builds friendship with us.
“Although we don’t drive on the same side of the road, we are going down the same road.”
Cllr Weston spoke about the maturity of the twining friendship and said: “In medieval times, 21 meant a man was strong enough to bear arms. In friendlier times, it means a young person is grown up and has the key to the door.”
Cllr Weston then presented Monsieur Lambert with a ceramic key and a cup of friendship, from the people of Basingstoke and Deane.
With the arrival of the Basingstoke sporting contingent, members of the Old Basing Royal British Legion Corps of Drums marched through Alencon, with their music causing quite a buzz with many locals following the band’s splendid red uniforms down the streets.
The French event organisers said the townsfolk felt privileged to see the band on the 45th anniversary of D-Day.
The weekend of events got off to a late start as the Basingstoke competitors arrived in Alencon more than two hours late after a long coach journey, but the hosts did not seem to mind.
Neither town had ever been defeated during the Festival of Sport on home ground and this year was no exception with Alencon marking up another victory, beating Basingstoke 21-11.
Despite a lack of sleep after their long journey, Basingstoke’s competitors made a sterling effort and things looked promising by the end of the first day, with the town just one point behind Alencon.
But perhaps an overdose of Gallic hospitality at the Saturday night dance took its toll on the visitors as the next day they were left standing by the French.
Basingstoke was steam-rollered in the roller hockey, floored in the judo and bowled over in petanque – commonly known as French Boules.
But our team excelled themselves in the racquet sports, trouncing their hosts in the squash tournament.
This impressed the French so much that the visitors were asked to play a demonstration game the following day to show how the game should be played.
Basingstoke also won the tennis and gained a draw in table tennis, but lost at badminton.
On the football field, French pride took a dent as Malshanger fired 11 goals past their opponents, who managed to score just one.
Oakley Under-16s and Basingstoke Boys also won their games, with Oakley Under-17s managing to draw. The Under-14s were beaten 1-0, along with Fanum AA, losing 3-1.
The festival took place in an atmosphere of friendly rivalry and Basingstoke took their defeat well.
Kevin Laing, who today is still the chairman of Basingstoke and Deane Local Sports Council, at the time told The Gazette: “It’s not the winning and losing. It is the fun behind the scenes that counts.”
He was given a bronze medallion commemorating the bicentennial celebrations of the French Revolution, that were being celebrated that year. In return, Mr Laing gave his French counterpart Pierre Chatellier two engraved glass tankards.
The weekend finished as it had begun, remembering those who had represented their country in the most honourable way, making the ultimate sacrifice, as the Basingstoke party toured Normandy and visited the vast British war cemetery in Bayeux as well as some of the beaches where the historic D-Day landings took place.
The Festival of Sport still goes on today and involves Basingstoke’s other twin towns, Euskirchen in Germany and Braine-L’Alleud in Belgium.
Each year, there are festivals of sport alternating between the countries with more than 120 competitors from each town taking part.
This year, Basingstoke will be hosting Euskirchen on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/trade_directory/