Bourne End (Bucks) Twinning Association

Our Twin

Bourne End is twinned with Octeville Sur Mer.

The formal twinning charters were signed on April 5th 2003 in Octeville sur Mer and on 28th July 2003 in Bourne End.

OCTEVILLE SUR MER

Copyright Octeville CJO 2003

Situation :

• village situated in Upper-Normandy, in the Caux area, on the Channel, the coastline being mainly composed of high chalk cliffs
• 8 km from the port of Le Havre (2nd biggest French port) and 5 km from Montivilliers (chief town of the region, which is composed of 11 towns or villages), 200 km from Paris and 220 km from London (approximately 40 minute flight)
• town member of the Community of the Le Havre agglomeration (CODAH) which groups together 17 towns of the Caux area.
• Total surface area of 2057 hectares
• A rural town comprising a village and ten hamlets

Nearby :

• Situated half way between the famous Etretat needle and the port of Honfleur
• Near to the Pont de Normandie, 2nd longest cable span bridge in the world
• Near to the Normandy Landings beaches

Economic activities:

• In the centre of the village : shops and local craftsmen
• In the hamlets : cereal growing and market gardens; bovine farming
• In the industrial zone : small and medium sized non pollutant industries
• On the coast : fish and seafood fishing ; fish farm

Population :

• about 5500 inhabitants of which almost 30% are under 20 years old
• The majority of the population work in the Seine valley industrial zone.

Sport :

• 2 football grounds
• 2 outdoor tennis courts
• 1 indoor tennis court
• 1 multisport hall
• 1 judo hall
• 18 hole golf course
• 1 takeoff point for parasails and hangliders
• 1 flying club, Deltawing, U.L.M., parachuting
• the coastal cycle route
• cross country footpaths

+ future projects :

• a synthetic football pitch (planned for 2002)
• a multisport playing field (planned for 2002)
• a double sports hall
• an entertainments hall

Octeville Associations:

• totaling around 2000 members
• Aquacaux : association for the upkeep of the coastline + fish farm
• Octeville Family Association: gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics (regional, occasionally national level) , speed-ball (national level) and many cultural activities
• Ex service mens association
• Parents of scholars association
• Scholarly sports association
• Octeville Firefighters
• Octeville Basketball Club (regional level)
• Agricultural Fair Committee (organisors of the agricultural fair)
• Entertainments Committee (organisors of local fêtes , second hand sales …)
• Les Coalas : organisors of holidays for children and teenagers
• " Yesterday's Children " (association for retired people)
• Octeville Handball Club (ladies national division 2 ; French national champions in 2001)
• Octeville Judo Club (regional level)
• Odeti : organisors of an international football tournament
• Pluriel : artistic et culturel activities
• Octeville Sporting Club : football (regional level)
• Octeville Tennis Club (regional level)
• Octeville commercial union (village animation)

Events :

• Harvest festival
• Agricultural fair
• Cards and domino competitions (typical Normand games)
• Village fêtes (fair, exhibitions of local products, parades of vintage motorbikes and cars, fireworks …)
• Music festival
• Big open air second-hand sale
• Téléthon
• Exhibition of paintings and craftwork of artists from the commune
• Stock-car race
• Clay pigeon shooting
• Sunday market
• International football tournament for 10 /11 year olds - currently the best French tournament in this category
• The 3 Churchtowers race (running and walking)

Access to the commune:

• by train : to the Le Havre station, then by road
• by sea : ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, then by road
• by road : from Le Havre direction Etretat (bus service)
• by plane : arrives in Le Havre-Octeville international airport

More information about Octeville sur Mer can be found on the links page.