SHORT FEATURE ON ST CLOUD, FRANCE, TWINNED WITH MAIDENHEAD.
Written by Harry Walton
MORE than half a century has passed since Maidenhead first became twinned with the French town of Saint-Cloud in 1957.
The concept of twinning began more than a century ago in Europe with the number of twinning links increasing significantly after the Second World War to aid the process of peace and reconciliation and following the UK’s entry into the EEC.
On the face of it the English town appears to be the bigger brother since it is twice the size of its French counterpart which has a population of about 30,000.
But Saint-Cloud punches above its weight and can easily claim to have made a contribution to history far more substantial than its size.
One of its bloody claims to fame is that it was at Saint-Cloud in 1589 that Henry III, King of France and the last king of the Valois dynasty, was stabbed to death by a Jacobian friar.
The town’s royal links and standing were further enhanced in the early 1690s when Saint-Cloud became the site of the first major porcelain factory in France when it began production of soft paste porcelain. Unfortunately it was unable to compete with new influences and the factory eventually closed in 1766.
There can be few more famous historical figures in French history or history in general than Napoleon and it was at Saint-Cloud that he was proclaimed First Consul in 1799.
Bicycles gave the town another first in 1868 when the Touring Club of France erected a plaque in the Saint-Cloud park reading: “On May 31, 1868, James Moore became the winner of the first race for velocipedes in France.”
Another Saint-Cloud sporting link is a legend, the champion alpine skier and triple Oympic champion Jean-Claude Killy who was born in the town in 1943.
The town achieved less welcome publicity when police dug up a woman’s body, a strangler’s cord still in her neck, after a German fugitive confessed that the pretty American dancer had been the first of five victims he killed to get money for food.
Such a crime was food and drink to Interpol, a household word in international crime fighting, the famous organisation being based at St Cloud from 1966 until1989 when it moved to Lyon.
The French town also enjoys a varied approach to relaxation with everything at residents’ disposal from a famous racetrack to a conservatory of music and dance while its economy is equally varied.
That includes everything from the production of motors and cosmetics, aeronautic and radio equipment to strong associations with film, computer and construction interests.
All in all Saint-Cloud provides the perfect partner for Maidenhead with many visitors making the trip to the outskirts of Paris to enjoy its welcome.