calnetalk.com

Chepfer · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject:

I have never personally been to any of our twin towns but know many that have.

All trips are paid for by the individual here in Calne !. I believe there may be a very small allowance for civic duties in respect to the mayor, which is not neccessarily for twinning trips but for any number of events that raise the profile of Calne in the local area.

I have met many people from our twin towns and can honestly say that it is a wholly worthwhile assocciation to belong too.

You get the chance to really understand another culture in an intimate way that you just can't from "going on holiday".

You get to live with a french, german or us family and are classed as part of there family when you are staying with them, I have met Policemen from the US, Hornblowers from Germany and farmers from france and learnt all about there own beliefs, customs, lifestyles, views on the world "including britain" and crazy drinking habits.

It just opens another view to the rest of the world and the chance to meet and be friends with people from other walks of life.

Caln in the US has obvious links with here, as even some of the founders of the Caln settlement have recognisable names from here in Calne, like ....... Pinegar, butler and Dixon. So they came from here and have family links here, so in that respect it's a good thing to have.

Like i said, "all paid for by the individual" and none paid by the town council.

Bear · Bentlian Oldboy Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 703

I have lived in Calne for 40 years plus on and off (having moved away and returned) I have been fortunate in my time to have travelled extensively all over the world some times at my expense and sometimes while being paid to do so. I have never been to any of the twin towns to Calne and cannot really see that this has been a great loss to me and fully support GTB question regarding the benefits. As a tax payer in Calne I cannot for the life of me see how my life has been improved by the act of twinning Calne with somewhere else. It would also be interesting to do a survey of Calne residents to see how many of them have been to any of the twin towns my guest would be a small percentage and then it would be interesting to see what the percentage would be if the same question were to be asked of councillors and council officials.

rosco · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:05 am Post subject:

Chepfer · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject:

Please have a look at this link and make your own minds up......

www.calne-twinning.org.uk

Perhaps we should have a vote and see if people think Calne should have no outside contact with the rest of the world ........ "It's free" and won't cost a penny.

Wink.... Wink

Local lass · St. Mary's Old Girl Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2245

Peter Dolman · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:33 am Post subject: twinning

I would like to reiterate the basic facts to all involved in this debate. Most, and this includes Calne, twinning associations are funded by the particpants and supporters. Yes believe it or not there are people who willingly support twinning groups but never travel.
Unlike our continental partners who are quite generously funded by local/regional goverments, as I may say are their leisure centres but thats a seperate debate.

I assure you that twinning associations are not comfortable little groups, most are actively looking for new people to join.
I was involved in a football club exchange in 1975, all 3 of my children went on exchanges when students at the John Bentley School. One to Germany, one to France and one to Holland. All the students at JBS could have participated during the time there.

I am currently involved in a twinning with a golf club in France, we are waiting with open arms to invite new members. All the costs are bourne by the hosts (except travel costs).
My ability or should I say inability to speak french is only surpassed by Gael's lack of knowledge of the english language. (our wives do better but they did not teach french at the Fynamore Secondary Modern when I was there). We do thought have some indepth discussions of the Common Agricultural Policy (or some other meaningless european law) over a glass or 2 of wine.

None of our or my childrens visits have cost the rate payers of Calne a penny, but I feel quite strongly that everyone who takes part in the twinning process benefits. Don;t knock it if you have not tried it!

nb I have come from a working class background and still consider myself working class (if such out of date concepts still exsist)

Local lass · St. Mary's Old Girl Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2245

so how would you go about getting the full benifit of the twinning,for the people of calne.would you have to be a member of certain clubs.
_________________

Bear · Bentlian Oldboy Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 703

I'm sorry but my point seems to have been lost some where in the translation. As a taxpayer in Calne I am obviously interested in where my money is spent and also whether 'we' are getting good value for it. Now I am not inferring that anyone is obtaining free 'jollys' on the back of the twinning of Calne with any other towns around the world. I would however find it astonishing if there is no cost to the taxpayers of Calne which is directly related to the twinning exercise and it is this cost which I would question in terms of what benefit it has given firstly to myself personally and secondly to Calne as a whole and not just the few who can afford to make the connection with our twinned towns themselves. Please do not confuse the words 'Cost to taxpayers' as an insinuation of ill doing I mean it must for instance cost something to have the words 'Twinned with whoever' on the Welcome to Calne signs and I'm sure this was not paid for my kind and generous individuals. Perhaps a freedom of information request might be in order to ascertain the true cost to the taxpayers of Calne

rosco · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:07 am Post subject:

Local lass · St. Mary's Old Girl Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2245

but with the leisure centre rosco people could just go up there and use it.therefore it is a benifit for the whole of calne.
and the centre is good for calne since it re opened i have only heard of one person who had a complaint about it.

just how do you get involved with the twinning?
_________________