Rutland village of Tinwell which returned First World War crucifix welcomes French guests for twinning party

The bonds between two English and French communities forged by a First World War relic, were strengthened at a twinning visit.

A group of five visitors from the French commune of Doingt-Flamicourt toured the delights of Stamford and enjoyed a traditional English fete thrown by their Tinwell hosts.

They were first brought together by a crucifix which the Rev Percy Hooson is believed to have rescued from a destroyed church on the Somme battlefields at Doingt and brought back to England, finding its place on Tinwell's All Saints Church altar in the early 1930s.

The visit from June 28 to 30 was organised to return the hospitality shown last summer when the Tinwell community went over to northern France to take the crucifix home, and to also mark the twinning of the two communities.

"It went very well - we were thrilled by the whole thing," said June Dodkin, who helped researched the crucifix's story and organised its return.

"They were talking about us going back again next year.

"It was lovely to have them here and it was just as though we had left them only yesterday."

The parties met at Peterborough Cathedral for a guided tour before an official welcome dinner at the Crown Hotel, in Stamford.

Tinwell’s new Gallic friends took in a tour of Burghley House on Saturday morning before heading back to the Rutland village.

Villagers joined their French counterparts for a fete before a special mass was held in All Saints, with permission from the diocese, led by Father Jean Louis Brunel, the priest of Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption in Doingt.

An official evening twinning celebration followed with a barbecue and jazz band where villagers were joined by the High Sheriff of Rutland, Richard Cole.

Ben Hooson, who has recently published his grandfather's war diaries, also attended, as did George Earl, from Stamford, who carved a replacement crucifix for All Saints.

The guests were invited to a farewell - or au revoir - meal at the King’s Head and a guided walking tour of Stamford on Sunday before heading home on Monday.

The mayor of Doingt couldn't make the trip owing to ongoing elections in France, but among the group was Hubert Boizard, a member of local history group “Mémoire de Doingt-Flamicourt”, who helped June co-ordinate the crucifix’s return.

“It was a wonderful time at Tinwell offered by our new friends,” he said.

“We were delighted to discover the new signs at the entrance to Tinwell announcing the twinning with Doingt-Flamicourt.

“We were also lucky enough to visit Rev Hooson's grave with his grandson Ben - what a moving moment!”