Twin Towns
Last updated | 29/06/2007
For a number of years the European Commission has encouraged the forging of links between different areas of Europe to encourage closer relationships of towns, cities, districts or regions.
Perth & Kinross Council has since then been actively involved with a number of cities at a business level to encourage business opportunities for Perthshire. These include:
Cognac, France
The twinning link with Cognac began in 1990 following a rural tourism conference. At this time, Cognac was actively seeking a British twinning partners and Perthshire was singled out.
Perthshire was seen as a potential twin as both areas are internationally recognised for high-prestige distillery products, they were comparable in size and social makeup, and both attracted important numbers of tourists.
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Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany
This twinning dates back to 1956 and is Perth & Kinross Council's oldest twinning.
The link became particularly active after 1974. In 1977, Dr Willi Reiland, Oberburgermeister of Aschaffenburg and Frau Reiland were presented to Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip during Her Majesty's Jubilee Year. Another highlight was in 1988 when Dr Reiland and Frau Reiland were invited to open St John's Shopping Centre in Perth.
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Bydgoszcz, Poland
This twinning was formed in 1998. Instigated by representatives of the strong Polish community in Perth in particular Dr Stanslaw Gebertt, a retired eye surgeon who had close links with the Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind in Bydgoszcz. Dr. Gebertt sadly died in 2001.
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Bydogoszcz.
Haikou, Hainan Province, China
The link with Haikou in the Hainan Province of the People's Republic of China originated in the Chinese community in Perth led by Mr John Chan who was and still is Chairman of the Perth, Fife and Aberdeen Joint Chinese Association.
In January 1991, there was a visit by a party from the Chinese Embassy the purpose of which was to progress the proposed link.
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Haikou.
Pskov, Russia
The background to Perth & Kinross Council's link with Pskov dates back to 1988 when Alexander Gelman, a popular Soviet playwright and friend of Mr Gorbachev, visited Perth Theatre and subsequently proposed a twinning between Perth & Kinross and Pskov. The late Dr Joan Knight, former Artistic Director of Perth Theatre was particularly enthusiastic about forming such a link.
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Pskov.
Perth, Ontario, Canada
This twinning was formed in 2000. The town of Perth, Ontario invited a delegation from Perth to visit Canada to help celebrate the millennium in July of that year and at the same time form a twinning link.
Perth and Kinross already had strong links with Perth, Ontario. Over the last few years the two communities, in particular the Pipe and Drum Bands had formed exchanges and maintained strong friendships.
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Perth.
