HAYDON Wick is hoping to become the official twin of a Paris suburb. Over the past two years Haydon Wick Twinning Group has been busy building up relations with residents of La Garenne Colombes.

Now the group hopes its French connection will blossom into something more meaningful.

Parish councillor Phil Eagle has led the bid to twin with the French.

He said: "The ultimate aim is to become official twins. At the moment it is quite a relaxed arrangement and we are trying to establish as many links as we can."

For the twinning group this has meant getting Haydon Wick residents of all ages involved.

Mr Eagle said: "We've just done a project involving the five primary schools in the area and the Haydon Wick Over 60s Club.

"They have produced six panels created from felt as part of an exhibition to mark the relationship."

One of the brightly coloured panels which, until recently were on display in the North Swindon Library, will soon be making its way to La Garenne Colombes.

Mr Eagle said: "We want to send the one the members of the Over 60s Club made to people over there but at the moment we're having trouble finding a way of getting it there it's rather large so it will cost a lot to send."

Pat Cutting, from Haydon Wick Over 60s Club, said: "The twinning group approached us to do this and we enjoyed it. We hope it will go over there and raise their interest and they will do something reciprocal.

"But to be honest I think the ones the children did were better than ours."

Another initiative designed to boost contact is aimed at the children.

Mr Eagle said: "It's a shame we don't have a secondary school in because it would be nice to arrange an exchange trip.

"With primary schools that is more tricky but we're setting up an email scheme where children here can get in touch with children over there.

"There's a French after-school club here and they're keen to get involved."

The borough of Swindon is already officially twinned with Salzgitter in Germany and Ocotal in Nicaragua. It also has 'friendship twinning' the first stage of an official twinning with Torun in Poland.

Gareth Bethell