ATA Exchanges
Children in Years 5 and 6 had a wonderful time in France for a week at the end of June. They had many opportunities to speak French and learn about the way of life over there, discovering all the differences and all the similarities with their life in England. Interacting with local children, it was clear that essentially children are children no matter what their background. Whether playing sport together or a game of chess, Guess Who, Monopoly, or singing a song, they are all the same and after initial nerves on all sides, they morphed into one standard of child behaviour, laughing, joking and just enjoying the present with each other. A meal with a local family helped this further and by the time of the Crepe Party on Thursday evening, it was as if they had known each other for longer than just three days. 
We are thrilled that on the 5th to 8th May this year, 42 people visited us from Le Pre D'Auge, Le Boissiéres et Les Morceaux. They were hosted with our members throughout the village and wider parish (including with members from Torquay and Newton Abbot).
We will post more pictures and videos of the fun and frolics over the next few days.
Arrival in the village was on the Thursday evening, 5th May, and Abbotskerswell members greeted their guests and hosted them at home for the evening.
There was a day's activities on Friday the 6th May in Plymouth including a visit to Abbotskerswell Primary School, Plymouth Gin, Plymouth Hoe and the Catering College where lunch was a veritable feat.
In the evening there was a Safari supper. For those who are new to this concept, this comprises having three courses of the meal in different homes. So there were a lot of people wandering the streets of Abbotskerswell on the evening of the 6th May.
Saturday the 7th May was spent with the hosting families and everyone came together in the village hall for a Ceilidh with the Random Mackerel Band.
Mid-May saw the Abbotskerswell Twinning Association take part in their exchange visit. See a short video of some of the highlights here.
This year it was the turn of nearly 40 of us to visit our friends in the Normandy villages of Le Pre d'Auge and Les Monceaux. Our coach took us up to the ferry at Portsmouth, across the Channel then on the short distance to our destination. With reunions taken care of we then went to our hosts' homes after a long day.