7:00am Monday 19th October 2009
Councillors have agreed to increase the budget for next year’s twinning visit to Calne by £5,000 and re-instate the town’s carnival.
The town will host representatives from all three twin towns – Charlieu in France, Eningen in Germany and Caln in America – for the first time ever next June, and councillors voted to increase the town events budget from £10,000 to £15,000 in preparation for the celebrations.
Town development support officer Clare Harris said: “This particular twinning visit is special as it will be the third tri-nation visit and the first time we have received both of our European twins at the same time.
“It will also mark the 40th anniversary of Calne being twinned with Charlieu.”
The events budget is already being used for the Christmas lights switch on, and councillors agreed that it was necessary to increase funds to hold a carnival over the twinning weekend, present town representatives with the Calne flag and provide entertainment.
A town crier competition will form part of the weekend and around £1,500 has been set aside to buy new robes for town crier Mark Wylie in the colours of the Calne flag, green, blue and gold.
Mrs Harris said: “The Sunday town crier competition will be a prestigious event, and invitations will be extended to town criers from all over the region to compete for the accolade of best crier.”
It is thought the total cost of the twinning visit will be about £9,400.
Around £4,500 of the events budget is already being used for the Christmas lights switch on, which will include the hire of a synthetic ice rink.
In the past the town council has had no involvement in funding or organising the summer carnival, but officers will be working with Malcolm Gull from the Calne Twinning Association and the Calne Community Group to organise this event.
Deputy town clerk Daryl Saville-Brown said: “We have met with the group and things seem to be sorting themselves out.
“We want to host a really fantastic weekend to showcase Calne, and between the twinning group, the council and the community group we will have civic and town events.”
The summer carnival was organised by the Calne Area Initiative for an Active Community (CAIAC) in the past but, as the group disbanded earlier this year, the event was not held this summer.
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