Twin Town - Flekkefjord, Norway
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Photo of Flekkefjord courtesy of Jarl Thore Larsen |
The twinning link between Burntisland and Flekkefjord was formalised at a public meeting in Burntisland Parish Church Hall on 24 February 1946, and it is reckoned to be the oldest extant town twinning link in the world. Contacts between Burntisland and Norway developed during the Second World War, when Norwegian soldiers were based in Fife. When the idea of a twinning arrangement was first mooted after the war, it was the children of Burntisland who voted for a link with Norway in preference to other countries. A short leet of towns was drawn up, and Flekkefjord was chosen.
Flekkefjord is a little larger than Burntisland, with a population of 9,000 compared to Burntisland's 6,000. Both towns boast a rich maritime history, with the town crest of each dominated by a ship. In years gone by, both were dependent on the herring fishing; on the export of primary products (timber and stone from Flekkefjord, coal from Burntisland); and on shipbuilding. Nowadays the towns share a dependency on a combination of industry and tourism.
One of the highlights of the twinning arrangement was the marking of its 50th birthday in 1996. In June of that year, a party of 150 or so travelled from Flekkefjord to Burntisland for four days of celebrations .....
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These
three photos show Burntisland High Street in
June 1996, with pride of place on the Civic Week
parade going to the young visitors from Flekkefjord.
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A cairn was erected on Burntisland Links to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Burntisland/Flekkefjord town twinning. The plaque on the cairn (pictured left) says: "Erected
by Below the commemorative plaque are the town crests of Burntisland and Flekkefjord. |
If you want more information about Flekkefjord, I recommend that you first of all visit the web site of Jarl Thore Larsen. Helpfully for most of us, it's in English. Jarl includes a page of Flekkefjord links, where you can again select English language sites by checking the flags displayed.
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The town twinners
weren't the first folk from Burntisland to sample
the delights of Norway! The Fife Free Press
of 12 June 1886 reported that a ship had
left Burntisland Harbour for Norway on the previous
Thursday, with a full cargo of coal and general
goods - plus a party of lady and gentlemen excursionists.
This trip was becoming increasingly popular,
and the berths were fully booked for the return
and next outward journeys. |
IAIN SOMMERVILLE
E-mail: iars@fife40.freeserve.co.uk
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