A finely embroidered gift celebrating the 25-year relationship between Cambridge and its sister city Le Quesnoy has been presented to Waipā civic leaders.
Waipā district mayor Susan O’Regan receives Le Quesnoy’s gift from Cambridge Community Board member Alana MacKay, watched on by Cambridge Community Board chairperson Jo Davies-Colley. Holding the certificate marking 25 years of friendship between Le Quesnoy and Cambridge is Mia MacKay. Photo: Viv Posselt
Cambridge Community Board member Alana MacKay presented the framed gift last week to Waipā district mayor Susan O’Regan and Cambridge Community Board chairperson Jo Davies-Colley.
The framed item was given to board representatives at the recent Anzac Day/25th sister-city anniversary commemorations in France. They had delivered a gift for Le Quesnoy during the visit, a hand-drawn art piece by Saiorse Herewini.
O’Regan said the embroidered gift represented the recommitment of the relationship between Cambridge and Le Quesnoy and underpinned the strength of the relationship between the two.
“It is a testament to people in both towns that the relationship has endured and is still in good heart,” she said, adding that visitors to both towns enjoyed seeing signs of their home towns embedded in one another.
MacKay said the recent gathering in Le Quesnoy had been ‘very special’, with about 200 people in attendance.
While there, she and Waipā district councillor Philip Coles co-signed a certificate marking 25 years of friendship between the two towns, one that said both were committed to continuing their twinning and to strengthening the strong ties that bring them together.
A close-up of the embroidered gift given to Cambridge by Le Quesnoy. The deep blue background allows the silver stitching to stand out. Photo: Viv Posselt
