A Merseyside town has long-standing links with two European cities, with one being a major global hub.
St Helens became the first town in Europe to take part in a town-twinning following WWII when the rugby loving town was paired with manufacturing giant Stuttgart, in Germany. The partnership made sense as St Helens, one of the leading manufacturers of glass at the time, helped rebuild the German city which was badly damaged during the war.
The twinning of the two towns dates back to 1948, three years after the war ended.
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Stuttgart is not the only town St Helens shares a special link with, it is also twinned with Chalon-sur-Saône, a small commune in Eastern France, which also considers itself a "glass town", being heavily involved in the glass making trade.
St Helens even has several tributes to the French town, with a pub, The Brasserie Chalon, and a street, Chalon Way, named after it. Councillor Anthony Burns, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Well-being, Culture and Heritage, said: “We’re very proud of our twinning relationships with Chalon-sur-Saône and Stuttgart which date back a combined total of 130 years. We believe our twinning with Stuttgart in particular to be the oldest of its kind (75 years) when we formed a partnership shortly after World War Two.
“As a leading manufacturer of glass at the time, St Helens was able to support the rebuilding of Stuttgart, parts of which had been destroyed or damaged by bombing during the conflict. While, as a glass town itself, Chalon-sur-Saône contacted St Helens almost 60 years ago with an offer to twin, which was gladly accepted.
“Throughout these partnerships, students have enjoyed many exchanges, leading broadening experiences of young people – while local sports teams and music groups have travelled to compete but also perform together. It only feels like yesterday when we hosted delegates from Stuttgart for our 70th year as twin towns – which coincided with St Helens Borough’s 150th anniversary.
"Also that year, the Mayor of St Helens Borough at the time, Pat Ireland, was invited over to Stuttgart where a tram with the St Helens coat of arms on was officially unveiled.
“If you were to walk through Church Square Shopping Centre, you will notice the horse which features on the Porsche logo to represent our ties with Stuttgart where the headquarters for the luxury German car manufacturers is - and of course Chalon Way is named after Chalon -sur-saone, as is a town centre pub.
“Despite the past two years of Covid-19, Our relationships with Chalon and Stuttgart remain strong as ever and we look forward to welcoming guests here once again."
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