Gift marks sister city links

A close-up of the embroidered gift given to Cambridge by Le Quesnoy.

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

More Recent News

Well hello, dollies …

Members of the Cambridge 60s Up group have enjoyed two decades of companionship, but it is a connection with knitted dolls aimed at comforting those in need that has taken their fancy in recent years….

Ninety years – 100 celebrate

When the Kairangi Hall committee got together to discuss something special to celebrate the hall’s 90 years, the Kairangi Hall Summer Festival was initiated. Over 100 people attended the celebration and family gathering at the…

Dishing up school stories …

Cambridge Middle School food technology teacher Robyn Gibbeson is hanging up her apron today (December 12) after four decades in the job. Robyn, who started at the school in 1985, said she’d decided to retire…

Thousands of students, just as many stories…

Suzy Reid clearly remembers the day a girl in her class splashed Indian ink across a stunning piece of nearly finished art. With tears in her eyes, she leant over the student, said “now make magic”, and…