When driving through the towns and villages of Nottinghamshire, signs welcoming people to an area will often contain the name of a European location that it is 'twinned' with. The concept of UK towns and cities having a European 'twin' emerged following the Second World War, and there are locations across Europe and further afield that are twinned with Nottinghamshire locations.
Although few may stop to ponder what life is like in these far-flung destinations, some fascinating stories lie behind them - with one having been used as a filming location for a major Hollywood blockbuster. The twinning arrangements can also be a source of controversy though, with Nottingham City Council being forced to cut ties with locations in Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine in February.
But in the other areas of Nottinghamshire, the twinning arrangements can be seen in several joint projects and even in the naming of some streets. Below are some of Nottinghamshire's twin towns and cities and the stories behind them.
Bussy-Saint-Georges - twinned with Radcliffe on Trent
Bussy-Saint-Georges is located on the outskirts of Paris and benefits from being situated close to the Disneyland Paris theme park. The town boasts architectural monuments including cathedrals, a bell tower and a historic mill.
Farms surrounding the town are also considered to be local landmarks. It has been twinned with Radcliffe on Trent since 1999, with its other twin towns and cities across the world including Kiryat Ekron in Israel and Meiningen in Germany.
Garbsen - twinned with Worksop
Garbsen is a town in North Germany which was created in 1974 when several districts were amalgamated into one. It is twinned with Worksop in Bassetlaw and the two towns have worked on numerous projects together over the years.
Bassetlaw sent representatives to Garbsen when its new town hall opened in 1998 but several initiatives were in place before then. The Worksop Dolphins have been taking part in an alternate yearly exchange visit with the Garbsen Swimmers since the early 80s, whilst the Worksop Harriers send a team to compete in the North German cross-country championships every year.
Runners from Garbsen are also invited to take part in the Bassetlaw Half Marathon. Bassetlaw District Council says: "Industrially it is similar to Worksop and is near to a large city (Hannover) which attracts many Garbseners. Its industrial base, which is growing, is mainly light industry and it is looking forward to industrial growth in the future."
Mansfield, Ohio - twinned with Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Mansfield in Nottinghamshire is just one of several towns across the world to have the name. Its twinning arrangements reflect that, with the town being twinned with two of its namesakes in the United States: Mansfield in Ohio and Mansfield in Massachusetts.
Ohio's Mansfield is a particularly prominent area, having been established in 1808 and with a population that has continued to rapidly grow since then. The 1994 blockbuster The Shawshank Redemption was shot at several locations across the town.
There are regular meetings of representatives from Mansfields around the world and this has included a visit to the Ohio Mansfield in 2008. Nottinghamshire's Mansfield also played host to people from six of its namesakes during a week-long celebration in 2012.
Ningbo - twinned with Nottingham
Ningbo is one of China's oldest cities, located on the country's east coast around two hours south of Shanghai. It was known as a trade city at least two thousand years ago and went on to become a major port for foreign trade.
One of the most prominent aspects of Ningbo's twinning arrangement with Nottingham is the University of Nottingham's presence in the city. The university opened a 14 acre campus in Ningbo in 2004, during an opening ceremony attended by officials including the then UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
Despite the successful partnership between the two cities, some campaigners in recent years have called for it to end. Protesters took to the Old Market Square this year to demand an end to the twinning arrangement due to what they described as the "ongoing oppression and persecution" of people in Hong Kong.
Ronchin - twinned with Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Ronchin is a town situated in the north-east of France, around four kilometres from Lille. Among its popular attractions is a puppet theatre, which offers several shows per month as well as activities and workshops for young people.
Ronchin has been formally twinned with Kirkby in Ashfield since 2001, with Ronchin Gardens in Kirkby being named after its French partner. A choir from the French town also visited Kirkby in 2018, performing music in the Ashfield District Council chamber during a tour of the council building.
