"If I could copy and paste Hexham to where I live, I would."

"My name is Clara. I am a political science student in France and I’ve come to Hexham for job experience with Théâtre Sans Frontières. I’ve lived in Hexham for 7 weeks. I am part of the town twinning organisation in Noyon, France. Noyon has been twinned with Hexham for 30 years. Let me say town twinning saved my university year: the famous butterfly or snowball effect came into play. If town twinning did not exist, I wouldn’t have met my amazing friend Cathy Booth, it is thanks to her, she found me a placement in Hexham: If I hadn't found a placement I would have received a 0/20 in one of my courses in my second year at university and Hexham saved me, thank goodness!!

A big thank you to Sarah Kemp and John Cobb for taking me on as an intern in their theatre company Théâtre Sans Frontières. I absolutely enjoyed my job experience at TSF, we toured the north of England to different schools with their French play “Les Aventures de Lapin”. It was good fun and I was able to discover information about the school systems here, these are quite different in some ways to French schools. The kids were absolutely wonderful and loved the French play.

Living in this town has made me realise the importance of a community. Our society has been more and more individualistic. However, Hexham is a shining example of what happens when people come together, support one another, and build strong bonds that transcend individual differences. I love the happiness in the streets even under lots of rain, how strangers talk to each other, how people come together and support each other. For instance the charity shop workers give their free time for a social cause or also the religious groups share their faith and give to the community. I love visiting the gardens, seeing the inscriptions on the park benches, the 800-year-old market and the sense of keeping traditions alive such as with the town crier. I have been to The Ceilidh with the Hexham Village band, learning traditional music and dancing with strangers is very enjoyable. I love the band's policy “the only rule is to have fun”.

Merci à tous, Hexham est une ville superbe."

Clara TAGGART
July 2023