AN UNUSUAL town twinning ceremony was held when a delegation from the villages of Debden and Wimbish visited their friends in a Nepalese village. Seventeen members of the Tang Ting Twining Association travelled to the village of Tang Ting to open the da

AN UNUSUAL town twinning ceremony was held when a delegation from the villages of Debden and Wimbish visited their friends in a Nepalese village.

Seventeen members of the Tang Ting Twining Association travelled to the village of Tang Ting to open the day centre they had sponsored and to officially complete the twinning of the three villages.

Association president Cllr Tina Knight said: "I'm delighted with the trip. We have been reaching out across the miles for more than a year, and it was wonderful to finally make contact - a smile and a touch of a hand can mean so much.

"Everyone gained from this fabulous trip. I wish more British communities would link to other third-world villages.The benefits for everyone are staggering."

The twinning of the villages started almost 18 months ago when former Gurkha soldier Capt Gau Gurung, based at the Carver Barracks in Wimbish, looked for ways to improve the life of the people living in his home village in Nepal.

Since its foundation the Tang Ting Twinning Association has raised almost £18,000 to help build a day centre in the village and a new generator to give the village partial electricity.

Association chair Moray Bayliss said: "The people of Tang Ting reminded us of old fashioned virtues, some of which we have lost here or have taken for granted: close community ties, self help, hard work and the ability to smile at life's hardships and disappointments."

Capt Gurung said: "I hope the association members from Debden and Wimbish had a meaningful and wonderful time during their stay in Tang Ting and learned some things from this visit along with a sense of achievement after ascending over 4000ft above sea level all the way to Tang Ting on a very sunny day."

The association has now started to raise money to build a medical centre in the village. A selection of Christmas cards, featuring scenes from Tang Ting, is now on sale. To purchase call Tina Knight on 01799 540881 or Sheila Abrams on 01799 543726.