A group of 18 people from Kent took to their cars on Saturday 4 May to take the Shuttle to Calais to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel. The actual anniversary is 6 May, but they had been unable to find return bookings on that day due the numbers returning from the continent on a bank holiday.
Gathering to celebrate Channel Tunnel anniversary
The group consisted of people from 11 towns and villages including Ashford, Tenterden, Romney, Lydd, Deal, Sandwich, Canterbury, Maidstone, Hoath, Charing, Lyminge, who had responded to the notices sent out by East Kent for Europe to members of the European movement and twinning associations of the South East. They carried a banner to promote town twinning and another celebrating the anniversary of the Channel Tunnel. They also held up placards with the names of the towns in the South East that are twinned with towns mostly in northern France. It is hoped that publicity about this event will rouse more people to get involved in this as it has been noted that, since Covid and Brexit, twinning activities have been in decline, even for the regular civic exchanges. For example, there was no one present from Dover which is actually twinned with Calais.
On arrival at Calais, the rendez-vous was at the Dragon Centre. The Dragon is a big tourist attraction. It is a huge metal mechanical monster that can take about 30 people at a time for rides, while it belches out fire and smoke from mouth and tail.
National anthems and speeches
At 11am the group gathered in the courtyard together with the French organisers and attendees. Both national anthems were sung. After introductions, Dr Carl Wright spoke about the value of town twinning for civic and cultural links. Then Diccon Spain, Ashford borough councillor, spoke about how Eurostar had abandoned Kent, and also Calais Fréthun, and how we can work together on our shared need for the restoration of these local train services.
Thaddée Segard responded from the French side speaking about the huge population increase that is planned for the Cote d’Opale with the investment of the new giga factory at Gravelines, and improvement of transport links which will be necessary both along the coast and also cross-Channel. He particularly noted the need of local teachers to make exchanges and visits, as English is the preferred foreign language for schools in that region. He also noted the various attractions of Calais for the British, including zero VAT for shopping.
Group photos were taken, holding the banners for the anniversary, and also the placards with the names of the twinned towns. We were lucky with the weather which was sunny at that time.
Lunch at Cafe de Paris
Then we all went for lunch at Café de Paris for time to interact with the French hosts and attendees (and plan for future exchanges!). In the afternoon, just in time to catch us as we dispersed back to parked cars, there was a huge thunderstorm! Some were trying to get to the Musée de Beaux Arts, and some for walks along the beautiful dunes and sandy beach.
To Calais Frethun station abandoned by Eurostar
One car went to Calais Fréthun station, where Diccon Spain was given a guided tour by Rémi Macault, a rail campaigner with Metropale. Diccon was photographed beside the closed offices for cross-border train journeys.
