Mayors to cycle 340 miles to French twin town

Thame mayor Andy Gilbert is a member of Thame Cycling Club

The current and former mayor of an Oxfordshire town are to cycle 340 miles to their twin city in France for charity.

Thame mayor Andy Gilbert and his predecessor, Adrian Dite, will be part of a group riding to Montesson, near Paris.

Thame's twinning association arranges a cultural trip to the French commune each September, although usually by coach.

Mr Gilbert said the cycling group planned to lay a wreath at Pegasus Bridge en route to mark the key contribution by Oxfordshire's troops on D-Day.

Thame has been twinned with Montesson since 2001

Up to 40 people travel to France for the twinning weekend and the journey has been made by bike once before, about 10 years ago, according to Mr Gilbert.

About a dozen cyclists from Thame Cycling Club will set off on Wednesday 11 September, taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, and are expected to arrive in Montesson on Friday afternoon.

Mr Gilbert, who is a member of the club, said: "It's a lovely thing to do. I love cycling in France - it's got a brilliant cycling culture."

The trip aims to raise £1,500 for the mayor's 2024 charities - the Sharing Life Trust/Thame Foodbank and the Lord Williams's School Young Carers, which supports local school children with caring responsibilities.

Mr Gilbert said about 200 of the school's 2,200 pupils cared for a relative.

He said: "I was astonished - these are students who, before they go to school, are looking after a sibling or parent, on top of everything they do in their school day."

Twinning between UK and French towns began after World War II amid a desire for reconciliation.

Montesson, which has 15,000 residents, has been twinned with Thame since 2001.