This is the access page for an archive of forum entries. The forum iteslf is no longer available for new content. New social based chat is available on the club Facebook group.
Hartford, as some will know, is twinned with Mornant in France, and some years ago, residents of Mornant visited Hartford and rode out with WVCC as part of a friendly meeting of the two towns.
In 2015, we have been invited to visit Mornant, and a meeting was held recently with representatives from the town. The proposed dates are around 10-14 July, which, coincidentally is on the middle of the TDF! This also brings the possibility forward of seeing the tour whilst out there.
Details have yet to be finalised, but if any of the club members are interested in a trip, post your interest here. Further details will be posted and interested members will be involved in making this happen. It sounds like a great opportunity and I'm sure that there will be enough flexibility on the trip to enjoy some cycling, engage with our French counterparts and enjoy the culture!
A little bit of history on our links with Unoin Cycliste Mornantaise.......
In the summer of 1997 to celebrate 10 years of twinning between Hartford & Mornant members of UCM decided to ride from Mornant to Hartford (due to time constraints some sections in France were driven in the support vehicle). Mornant lies about 15 miles south west of Lyon. Graham G. was contacted by the twinning committee and asked if WVCC would like to join them on the last leg of their journey from Ludlow to Hartford.
On a week day morning Graham, Simon Doughty and myself were dropped of by Graham's family in Ludlow where we met UCM outside their B&B. We rode north on a pleasant summer's day stopping in Wem for a cafe break. After a brisk 76 miles we arrived in Hartford to a welcome fit for Tour riders - French and English families filled the main road in Hartford outside the tennis/bowling club and we rode down the centre of the road linking arms with all 7 seven riders abreast (I doubt you'd ever get the traffic to stop these days).
We rode together once more on the WVCC club run that weekend before our new friends returned home. The following year (September 1998) we arranged to for WVCC to stay with UCM in Mornant for a week of cycling. Myself and Chris Mullin (a small but mighty contingent) flew out to Lyon and had the cycling holiday of a lifetime. We experienced fantastic hospitality, generous hosts, great food, beautiful quiet mountain roads, hot weather and at the end of the week competed in an open 9 mile hill climb on the Saturday then a road race in Limonest on the Sunday (6 ascents of Mount D'Or).
I stayed in touch with Jean Francoise (club president at the time) and used to phone him on Christmas Day for few years but lost touch many years ago with both of us moving around.
If you want to experience true French hospitality and cycling culture then get yourself to Lyon in 2015.
Anne Gregory and I attended a meeting in October with the Mornant chair of the twinning committee, Mornant Deputy Mayor and a contingent of interested local [Northwich Area] parties..
Basically, the dates can be flexible, although the English week that they are planning will be on the dates in Ady's post, planning to finish with the Mornant celebrations for Bastille Day, which I am sure will be a very colourful and joyous occasion and a chance to witness real country festivities. Accommodation for this period can be provided.
If there is enough interest as Ady has suggested, it would be great to combine this trip with a camping trip to see the Iconic climb of Alp D'Huez on the 25th July, the penultimate stage of the TdF and a day when the Tour maybe won or lost.
The tour is in the area for a few days before, and a drive out followed by the last few KM on the bike to see the Tour in France would be a fantastic repeat of the Grand depart in Yorkshire 2014. [I'm sure if you ask anyone who camped they will tell you what a fantastic time we had]
Very last call for those club members who would like to join a trip to Mornant this July 10th - 14th. Our deadline to put names down is 15th March (i.e. we'll have to let the guys in Mornant know by then, so that they can organise appropriate places for us to stay and have an idea as to how many visitors will be there to join the celebrations of the twinning of Hartford and Mornant. Please see the link above, and if interested, please contact Graham Gregory directly to confirm.
An email from Gerard Bouziat says:
Dear Friend,,
My town MORNANT organize an "English Week" in July (10th to 14th).
In november you met Alain Dutel and Jean Marie Barberon. They presented our project.
We would like to welcome new friends and establish links between the associations of Hartford and Mornant.
If your club and some people are interested, we are able to organize your stay in France.
I know Hartford and I have many friends. Many time I visited the area of Hartford with the twinning. The first time ... 28 years ago !!!
I am waiting your answer. Thank you.
Sincerely.
Gerard BOUZIAT member of parish council of Mornant
As part of the English Week that the town of Mornant are holding, they are also looking for Hartford family to provide accommodation for a young lady from Mornant who wishes to spend a week doing some work experience in England - and obviously given the town links - in Hartford.
If this is something that a family in the club are interested in getting involved in, then please email Iris Isserlis at iris.isserlis@btinternet.com who in turn will organise this with Gerard Bouziat from Mornant.
See original email below:
Dear all,
I am forwarding a request from Gérard Bouziat concerning a young girl from Mornant who would like to do some work experince in Hartford this summer and would like accommodation with a family, where she would be happy to do some baby sitting.
If you think that you might be able to help, please contact me and I'll pass the information on to Gérard.
many thanks,
Iris.
