European Partnership Project in Hendaye

A Warm Welcome in Hendaye!

A group of 4 senior students from Peebles High School, accompanied by George Davidson - former teacher at the school and Peebles Town Twinning Committee member - enjoyed wonderful hospitality from their French hosts during their European Partnership Project visit from 16-20 November 2005.

The students' project was designed to give them the opportunity to work together as a team in preparing a presentation on Peebles as a tourist resort and making that presentation to audiences in Hendaye.  The students gave 2 presentations - one to the pupils in the local Sacré Coeur School and one in the evening in the beautifully appointed Salle d'Abbadie.  The evening presentation was attended by the host families and friends and it was especially pleasing when many of the Mutxiko Dance Group came along too.  At the end of the presentation, an engraved quaich to mark the visit was presented to the Deputy Mayor of Hendaye.  The Scottish students impressed their audiences and were a credit to themselves, their school and Peebles, in the way they conducted themselves throughout the visit.

Another part of the project was for the Scottish students to visit local companies to find out about the local economy, speak to employers about the world of work, participate in some problem-solving activities and, where possible, undertake a work placement.  The students enjoyed visits to 5 companies - "Signature" (a road-sign company where the students saw a sign being made using some artwork from the Town Twinning Charter), "Hendaye Manutention" (a freight handling/logistics company where they learned the need for employees to be very flexible and multi-skilled), "Eurotools" (a hand-tool manufacturer where the students were given the task of preparing a marketing approach for a new domestic market), "Laffontan" (a printing company where the students saw some new hi-tec printing machinery) and finally "Thalassotherpie Serge Blanco" (a health spa where the students experienced work placements including manning the switchboard).  The group would like to  thank all the people in the companies visited for giving us so much of their time, showering us with gifts,  and generally making us feel very welcome

The visiting students also spent some time in the Sacré Coeur School where they chatted to the pupils and encouraged them to practise their English.  On the Saturday, a trip to Biarritz was led by Cathy Durcudoy, a teacher of English at the Sacré Coeur School in Hendaye.

The final evening took the form of a meal which was organised by the Hendaye Town Twinning Committee.  All the host families attended the meal along with the Twinning Committee members and several teachers from the school.  Once the meal and speeches were completed the Scottish Group was presented with Pelota racquets from the Hendaye Town Twinning Committee.  The evening finished with the Scottish group teaching some Scottish Country Dances to their hosts.  This proved very popular with everyone joining in with great enthusiasm.

This visit was made possible largely by the efforts of the Hendaye Town Twinning Committee members to whom the Scottish students offer their sincere thanks.  Their thanks are also offered to the host families, and to the teachers and pupils of Sacré Coeur School.  It is hoped that, as a result of this visit, links can be established between the schools and rugby clubs in Peebles and Hendaye.

The pictures below clearly show the warmth and friendship shown to the Scottish group by their French hosts.  Click on each one to view a larger version.