Later tonight, there's a special meal for our Briec de l'Odet friends, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our being twinned with the Breton town. As part of those festivities—and the 25th anniversary of Top Dre, inspired by the twinning—we've had the pleasure of colourfully-costumed Breton pipe & drum band Bagad (which means "Band" in Breton).
Achievements all round, then. But what of the next 25 years? All those who set up and ran the twinning are self-evidently now 25 years older. Few have subsequently joined the committee. Few if any "youngsters" are coming forward. These days, there are also fewer actual exchanges between Rhuthun/Ruithin and Briec.
In fact, we wonder whether the whole twinning thing is fading fast. This isn't my view: it's that of some of the twinning committee. There's a pervading feeling that the twinning has run its course. It served a purpose (though, looking back, we're not sure exactly *what* purpose).
Meanwhile, I wonder what the members of today's Bagad were doing 25 years ago. Some would not have been born. The early visits from Bagad and from traditional Breton dancers were always a spectacle at the festival.
In fact, we wonder whether the whole twinning thing is fading fast. This isn't my view: it's that of some of the twinning committee. There's a pervading feeling that the twinning has run its course. It served a purpose (though, looking back, we're not sure exactly *what* purpose).
Meanwhile, I wonder what the members of today's Bagad were doing 25 years ago. Some would not have been born. The early visits from Bagad and from traditional Breton dancers were always a spectacle at the festival.
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