Epsom and Chantilly Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Epsom and Ewell Mayor leads delegation to Chantilly to celebrate 30th anniversary of twinning

Epsom and Ewell enjoys a robust, and mutually beneficial, twinning arrangement with Chantilly in France and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the close fraternal ties between the two historic horse racing towns. To commemorate the occasion a 14-strong delegation from Epsom and Ewell, led by the Mayor, Councillor Lucie McIntyre, made the journey to Chantilly for a packed programme of events.

The party from Epsom and Ewell also included representatives from Nescotand the Jockey Club, four current borough Councillors, three former Mayors and other members of the twinning association, all with varying abilities in speaking and understanding French. The participants met the cost of the trip individually from their own resources.

This was Mayor Lucie’s first visit to the historic twin town, and she was able to meet her opposite number, Benedicte De Cacqueray, and several Maires-Adjoint (Deputy Mayors), presenting the Chantilly Mayor with an engraved salver to celebrate 30 years of twinning. She received a striking equine-themed vase in return. The two mayors also joined forces to plant a tree in the grounds of the Marie (Town Hall).  There was a certain poignancy to the visit in that Lucie will be Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s last-ever Mayor following local government reorganisation and the precise future of twinning arrangements between the two towns is still under review.

Of the programme of events provided by the French hosts over the weekend of September 11th-13th, four were horse–related, and some not without incident.  A morning visit to the training stables of Alessandro and Ilaria Botti was followed by a drive deep into the forest which is crisscrossed with world-class all-weather training runs.  Just as the delegation arrived, a jockey fell from a galloping horse, but thankfully neither was harmed.  Marin Lecour-Grandmaison, Director of France Galop, showed the delegation round the Chantilly racecourse which operates 11 months of the year with 55 race days.  Other equine-related highlights included a visit to the Living Horse Museum and the presentation by Mayor Lucie of prizes at the Polo Club de Chantilly, a facility big enough for seven playing pitches. 

The Epsom and Ewell delegation also visited the town’s Lace Museum, home to some exquisitely beautiful pieces, one of which for example took 20 people one year to produce, as well as the Tennis Club of Chantilly. The agenda also included a trip to the historic St Peters Church, which has strong ties with the anglophone community in Chantilly, and a chance to see a new film on the wartime life of De Gaulle, including his time in the UK.

No trip to Chantilly would be complete without a visit to the fabulously beautiful Chateau and a chance to make Chantilly creme – a task that the Mayor excelled at!

Mayor of Epsom & Ewell Councillor Lucie McIntyre says, “I was delighted to join the Epsom and Town Twinning Association in celebrating this milestone and thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality provided by our French hosts as well as the chance to see so much of the wonderful town of Chantilly.”

While the 30-year anniversary celebrations are taking place in 2026, it was in fact on 30th September 1995 that the Mayor of Chantilly signed the Twinning Charter. However, a similar ceremony followed in Epsom in March 1996, signed by our then Mayor, Councillor Cyril Frazer, and this completed the formalities. The Epsom and Ewell Twinning Association was subsequently appointed by the Borough to develop and run twinning, which it has done ever since.

Association chair, Nigel Collin, adds,”Over the years we have been able to facilitate and support numerous visits to and from Chantilly by individuals, interest groups, schools and musicians. We hope that our partnership with Chantilly will endure, and the Association looks forward to being part of the next chapter in the story of twinning. It was lovely for the two mayors to exchange gifts, which will be treasured, and also for our delegation to distribute special commemorative  30th anniversary lapel pins to  our French counterparts to mark this auspicious  occasion.”

For more information on Epsom & Ewell Twinning CLICK HERE