HUNSTANTON (Angleterre)

Depuis notre rencontre avec des représentants de Hunstanton, une équipe "projet" de neuf personnes s'est constituée.

Une communication et une enquête auprès de la population, des associations et des écoles sont en cours par le biais d'affiches, de coupons réponses ... (chez les commerçants, mairie ...) et prochainement dans votre bulletin municipal.

John SMITH, représentant d'Hunstanton, sera de nouveau parmis nous le 26 octobre 2011 afin de poursuivre nos échanges.

Le projet ne pourra se faire sans vous !

Contactez nous par le biais de la Mairie ou par mail à alp41@orange.fr

Le 25 et 26 Juillet 2011, des représentants de notre commune ont fait la connaissance de responsables communaux de Hunstanton, en vue d’un éventuel jumelage.

Après avoir visité les structures communales : écoles, patrimoine historique, sportif, associatif,… nous nous sommes attaché à approfondir notre connaissance de cette ville.

Hunstanton est une ville de 4900 habitants du centre est de l’Angleterre. Ville fondée pour le tourisme, elle est située sur la côte et est réputée pour son site ornithologique, ses structures balnéaires, son calme, ses festivités musicales et culturelles…

Avant d’aller plus avant dans les démarches de jumelage, informez-nous sur vos attentes ! !

Pour cela, merci de contacter par l’intermédiaire de la mairie, Madame PONSONAILLE.

A Brief Introduction to Hunstanton – by Councillor John Smith

            Hunstanton is a small town of approximately 5000 residents, in the County of Norfolk on the East Coast of England. It is situated on the corner of a large bay – the Wash. It has many unique features but it is best known for the fact that although it is on the East Coast it faces West so it has magnificent sunsets with the sun slowly disappearing into the sea. It is also the only place in the British Isles which has a three-coloured cliff. Close to Hunstanton is an old village called Old Hunstanton which still belongs to the Le Strange family. The first Le Strange was French and was given the Manor of Hunstanton just after the Norman Conquest. It was a later member of the Le Strange family – Henry – who had the idea of building a new town based around the cliff and the views overlooking the Wash. It was carefully constructed so that everyone who lived in the town could see the setting sun. He named his new town “Hunstanton St. Edmunds” to celebrate the fact that in 855 a young saxon boy Edmund, who became king of Eastern England, landed on the beach close to the town. Edmund was killed by the Vikings but because of his resistance and his Christian beliefs he was made a Saint and was the first patron Saint of England. Today he rests in St. Sernin in Toulouse. That is another story.

            Construction of the new town started in the 1840s and all the buildings were built from the local brown sandstone which gives the town a unique character. The new town was an immediate success and when the railway arrived in 1862 its success was guaranteed by the enormous number of visitors who arrived to take advantage of its healthy sea-air and the new popularity of bathing in the sea.

            Today the town – since named New Hunstanton - is still a popular place for holidays and also many people retire to the town to take advantage of its healthy climate and peaceful surroundings. It does however, have a vibrant community with many clubs and societies.

            It is a perfect place for a children’s holiday with a very clean beach and for swimming  because the sea is very shallow and in the summer the sea-temperature mounts. This makes it the perfect place for many sports  especially wind and kite surfing. For all the family and especially the adults Hunstanton and the region is very beautiful; the coast of Norfolk is famous for its beaches, small harbours and many places to see birds and seals. In many villages there are traditional English «pubs» where it is possible to try local beer and eat regional food. Hustanton is very close to Sandringham the official winter residence of the Queen and there are many traditional English « chateaux» and gardens to visit.

            The residents of Hunstanton are used to receive many visitors from Germany and Holland, but not many French people so we are eagerly awaiting a new friendly French invasion from St. Laurent-Nouan hopefully starting in 2012.