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The departement of Sarthe was founded in 1790 from part of the province of Maine and a small part of Anjou. The shape is nearly concentric, the main city being Le Mans, judiciously situated in the middle of the department.
Today there are 150,000 inhabitants of Le Mans and more than 200,000 in the urban community.
The other principal towns are Mamers in the north, Sable in the west, La Fleche in the south west and La Ferte-Bernard to the east.
The village of Nettleham signed twinning documents with the French village of Mulsanne, near Le Mans, in 1978.
The basis of our twinning is 'the reciprocal visit'. Our association, in conjunction with our counterparts in Mulsanne, will find you a similar / suitable family or person. You will then spend your visit living with that family and taking part in various events. What we then ask you to do is to receive that family back in your home the following year.
For you, but especially if you have children, the benefits could be immense. The value of going to another country (in the security of a large group) to sample the real culture, hear the real language spoken, meet and get to know the real people is priceless.
This association needs fresh blood and new faces, especially younger families; though single people / widows / widowers / divorcees etc. are also welcome.
A boules (Petanque) club was formally created a few years ago and incorporated into the association. The club has its own boules pitch located at Mulsanne Park, Nettleham. Membership of the Boules Club is included in the membership of the Twinning Association. Members meet most Sundays - winter and summer - at 11am and Thursday evenings for a game or two. Friendly competitions are organised during the summer months.
Special events are arranged from time to time for fund raising.
Our welcome page includes a Link to a list of forthcomming events
If you are interested in joining us or just wish to know more about the Nettleham Twinning Association please contact the Webmaster
Major cities: Orleans, Tours.
The Loire Valley is rich with meandering streams, majestic oaks, quiet roads, and lush green countryside. Its royal châteaux and pastoral villages grace its overwhelming natural beauty.
Easy access from Paris, breathtaking architectural masterpieces, tiny discoveries hidden in the gentle folds of the landscape, accommodations from delightful to sumptuous, the excitement of great food and wine, sports and leisure activities make this an ideal spot for an unforgettable holiday.
Visitors can delight in the hotels and inns on picturesque cobblestone streets and take day tours to the many points of interest just minutes from every major Loire Valley town.
The patchwork fields, cool forests and lazy rivers of the Loire Valley invite the active vacationers to walk, cycle, windsurf, sail and canoe in the gentle countryside. Tennis players and golfers will find first rate facilities throughout the region. Visitors can drift leisurely over the châteaux and countryside in a hot air balloon or enjoy the spectacular sights while floating along on a houseboat or barge.
Fairs, festivals, pageants and concerts fill the Loire calendar from spring to autumn. Sound and light productions at Amboise, Chenonceau, Blois, Valençay and Azay-le-Rideau bring royal chateau history and tradition to life.
Major cities: Caen, Rouen.
Just across the Channel from London, you will find the welcoming region of Normandy with its varied coastline and rich countryside.
Normandy gets its name from the 10th-century Norman Vikings that settled the country. In 1066 the famous Norman Duke William defeated the Saxon King Harold in the Battle of Hastings, was crowned King of England and became known as William the Conqueror. For many centuries after, the descendants of his Norman army governed England, creating much of the Anglo-Saxon heritage.
In June, 1944 Normandy again came under the world spotlight when Allied Forces landed on the Normandy coast. Numerous museums, exhibitions, sites, and monuments including the Caen Memorial Museum, commemorate operations that took place between June 6th and August of 1944.
Upper Normandy with its highly industrialized and historical capital, Rouen has been linked to many famous names such as Thomas and Pierre Corneille, Gustave Flaubert and Joan of Arc. Caen, the capital of Lower Normandy, is known as the home to William the Conqueror and has some of the best "high-tech" businesses in France.
The pretty harbour of Honfleur, the Bayeux Tapestry which chronicles the exploits of William the Conqueror, Claude Monet's gardens in Giverny and the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel with its breathtaking views from the ramparts are just a few of the sites of Normandy.
France has a temperate climate, and is made up of four broad climatic zones:
The Nettleham Twinning Association is a member of the Lincolnshire Twinning FederationLast updated on Mon, 11 March 2002 15:03:21
