Dorchester's Twin Towns
Dorchester has active twinning links with Bayeux in France and Lübbecke in Germany.
Bayeux, France
The first twinning entered into was with Bayeux (of Tapestry fame) in France. The links were formed in 1959 and came about because the Dorset Regiment were the first soldiers to enter the town in 1944 as the Second World War came to an end.
If you would like more information about Bayeux visit www.bayeux.fr
Lübbecke, Germany
Dorchester's twinning with Lübbecke in Westphalia is largely down to the special relationship between the Durnovaria Silver Band who met the Lübbecker Schutzenmusik Corps at an event in Bayeux when Bayeux was twinning with Lübbecke in 1968. Formal links between Dorchester and Lübbecke were created in 1973.
If you would like to know more about Lübbecke visit http://www.luebbecke.de/
Dorchester Bayeux Society
The connection between the two towns began with the Dorset Regiment's involvement in the liberation of Bayeux in June 1944. The civic town twinning relationship was established in 1959 and is maintained by Dorchester Town Council. Alongside the civic relationship, a Dorchester-based society was formed to grow friendships between citizens of the two towns.
The Dorchester-Bayeux Society is the oldest twinning society in Dorchester and our aim is to promote and participate in twinning exchanges between the towns of Dorchester and Bayeux, in Normandy. At the heart of our activities is the two-year cycle of alternating exchange visits with our equivalent society in Bayeux. Visits usually take place over a long weekend in May or September. We also offer:
- An annual programme of interesting talks around a variety of French themes.
- Film nights—a season of classical French films with English subtitles is open to all local residents .
- French conversation coffee mornings—beginners and confident levels.
- Boules at the Sandringham Sports Centre with the U3A.
For more information visit the Society's website.
Twinning with Holbaek in Denmark
In 1987, the well-known British writer and producer Ann Jellicoe was invited to the Danish town of Holbaek to see a production of her play ‘The Knack’ in the town’s theatre with the town’s Mayor. Miss Jellicoe was also known for her pioneering work in developing community plays based on local history in towns throughout England.
Earlier that year, she had produced Dorchester’s first community play ‘Entertaining Strangers’ which was such a success that it was adapted for the National Theatre in London. The Danish mayor asked Miss Jellicoe to produce a play for his town which led her to develop the idea of two community plays linking the two towns. The following year, a group of Dorchester people went over to Holbaek for the first play, ‘Money and Land’. A year later, a party of Danes came over to appear in the Community play, ‘Under the God’, written by Ann Jellicoe.
In 1992 Holbaek was formally twinned with Dorchester. Over the following years, there were a number of exchanges between the two towns involving students, farmers, bands, football teams and members of the newly-formed Holbaek Society as well as several performances from Cirkus Kaephoj in Maumbury Rings, starring many young performers from the Danish town.
So when it was planned to build 50 much needed affordable homes next to the Fordington Fields estate, it was decided to call this new development Holbaek Close as a tribute to the friendship between the two towns. The land was owned by the Town Council and intended for a play area but, instead, it was sold to Magna and the proceeds put towards developing Sandringham Sports Centre.
Although, since 2015, Dorchester no longer has active twinning links with Holbaek, the relationship is still remembered with pride.
