Bicester Delegation Visits Essarts-en-Bocage for Bastille Day Celebrations
In July 2025, four representatives from Bicester travelled to Essarts-en-Bocage, Bicester’s twinned community in France, to take part in the annual Bastille Day celebrations. The visit marked another successful exchange in the long-standing tradition of friendship between the towns.
Two members of the group, Paul Wheatley and Damien Maguire made the journey by car. They left Bicester on Friday afternoon, travelled via the Eurotunnel, and stayed overnight near Rouen. After an early start on Saturday, they arrived in Essarts-en-Bocage by early afternoon and were warmly welcomed by their host families.
Val and Brian Pearce flew to Nantes on Saturday morning where they were met by their hosts and taken to Essarts-en-Bocage. The group stayed with local families, an arrangement that has become a valued part of the twinning tradition, allowing visitors to experience authentic community life in their host town.
A Weekend of Friendship and Celebration
After arriving and settling in, on Saturday the group enjoyed time with their hosts and shared meals together, including a visit to the nearby pretty seaside town of St. Gilles. With temperatures reaching 34°C, the area was bustling with families enjoying the start of the bank holiday weekend. In the evening they ate at a local fish restaurant – moules marinières is always an enjoyable local speciality – followed by a walk along the still-busy sea front.
Photo © Val Pearce
On Sunday morning, members of the twinning committees from Essarts-en-Bocage, Neunkirchen-Seelscheid (Germany) and Bicester came together for a meeting to discuss future events and the continued growth of their partnerships.
Notably, it was observed that all three of these twinning committees are now chaired by women, prompting much friendly and light-hearted banter.
Following the meeting, the group enjoyed a shared lunch at The White Hop, a local brewery and restaurant.
In the afternoon, everyone visited the Château des Essarts for a guided tour, which was both informative and entertaining. The guide’s commentary was translated into English using a digital translation device, adding a modern twist to the visit. Val noted that she had logged over 8,000 steps by the end of the tour.
The delegation then participated in a community art activity in a local park, contributing to a Europe-themed banner being created by local children.
Photo © Val Pearce
That evening, they joined thousands of locals at the main park in Essarts-en-Bocage to watch a spectacular fireworks display. Though it was a standing-only event, organisers gave the Bicester group a rare opportunity to view the fireworks setup area, both fascinating and a little daunting. The show itself drew an estimated crowd of over 3,000 people and proved to be a highlight of the visit.
Bastille Day Ceremony
Monday morning saw the official Bastille Day parade. The Bicester delegation joined the procession, which was led by a local band, firefighters and children, and made its way to the church. Speeches were given by the Mayor of Les Essarts, Caroline Gilbert; the Deputy Mayor of Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Jürgen Parpart; and Bicester’s own Deputy Mayor, Dr. Paul Wheatley, who addressed the audience in French, a gesture that was warmly received.
Paul Wheatley, Deputy Mayor of Bicester and Caroline Gilbert, Mayor of Essarts-en-Bocage.
Photo © Val Pearce