ENTENTE cordiale appears to be alive and well after the French begged Wallingford not to sever their twinning links in the row over a lack of contact.

Wallingford mayor Alec Hayton contacted the Brussells-based Council for European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which co-ordinates twinning in Europe, to officially severe the link with Luxeuil-les-Bains in eastern France.

But the French deputy mayor Fabienne Deloul has now appealed for Wallingford to hold fire and promised 2009 would be the year to revive the 30-year twinning relationship.

Mme Deloul said: “We are ready to welcome the mayor of Wallingford to Luxeuil whenever he would like and has time.We have a mayor who is very, very open and a twinning committee that is in action and has been working with Germany in 2008.

“For us 2009 is a year for getting back in touch with Wallingford.”

The French official added: “As far as the twinning committees go, it’s possible there hasn’t been any direct contact between the two towns.

“We came into the town hall in March 2008 and since then we have re-established our committees in a different way to deal with our relationships with Italy, Germany and England.

“In fact, the mayor of Luxeuil-les-Bains met the mayor of Wallingford in Bad Wurzach in Germany on July 11, 2008. We have had frequent contact via post and email with Wallingford and the mayor of Wallingford has been invited to come to Luxeuil in October. For us, the contact still exists.

“Next week, two people from Wallingford are coming to Luxeuil and we are going to meet them.”

Mme Deloul told the BBC she wanted to meet town councillors or twinning committee members to establish a way forward, but warned the two towns should not force things.

The deputy mayor also said inquiries made about an exchange from her town’s local school had never received an answer.

Last night, Mr Hayton said: “It would be wonderful. It’s a great idea and I’m looking forward to having a telephone call from her to explain what is going to happen. I’ve never been to Luxeuil-les-Bains, but I shall be going now.

“A lot of primary, secondary and adult learners learn French and it would be lovely for them to have somewhere to go for a week or so.”

Mr Hayton added: “I think the French school wanted to come in the middle of exams for Wallingford School and it couldn’t work.”

Former mayor Betty Atkins, the last person to visit the French town in 1998, said: “It’s a good outcome.

“I think Wallingford is the most amazing place to live and I’ve lived all over the world.

“I think we should invite the French here with open arms.”

wallingford@oxfordmail.co.uk