How it all began
The story goes that in the late 1950’s, a group of Romsey Rotarians was sailing off the coast of Brittany and they called and stopped off in Paimpol. They enjoyed their stay and both the Romsey and Paimpol Rotarians thought it a ‘good idea’ to establish a Twinning link between the two towns. This suggestion was then taken up by Romsey and Paimpol Councils. Exchanges took place (at one time the Paimpolais chartered a Douglas DC3 aircraft to come to Romsey!) to further the twinning and a committee was set up (the late Elizabeth Collier was part of this group). Their discussions culminated in the two Mayors, M. Frederic Bonne and Mr. George Mackrell, signing the joint “Friendship Pact” on 6th August 1960. Note of interest: the Romsey Mayor at that time was Henry George Mackrell, shown on the Town Hall board as Mayor 1959. These dates are not compatible, so I assume that Romsey Mayors in those days started their Mayoralties at Michaelmas, 29th September to 29th September, until the advent of Test Valley Borough Council in 1974 when Romsey ceased to be a borough and the ‘Town’ mayor making began to take place in May. Henry George Mackrell was therefore coming to the end of his year’s tenure in 1960 when he signed the pact.
Involvement of Lord Louis Mountbatten
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John Mason, one of our longest-serving members, was kind enough to supply Romsey Twinning with this account of Lord Mountbatten's links with the organisation
Lord Louis did visit Paimpol and I believe he went there before the ‘Friendship Pact’ was signed. I am not sure whether or not his influence also encouraged the Twinning. However, on May 31st 1961 he was accorded Paimpol’s highest honour when he was made a Citoyen d’honneur de la Ville de Paimpol. On that occasion he also took a young chestnut tree from Broadlands and planted it in the garden precinct of the Paimpol Mairie commemorating his visit (not sure whether this tree is still there). Lord Louis maintained a close interest in the Twinning. Latterly, when Lord Louis opened Broadlands to the general public on 19 May 1979 he invited the next Paimpol visitors to Romsey to come and visit his ‘home’ for coffee. Sadly Lord Louis was killed on 27th August 1979. Lord and Lady Romsey were married on 20th October 1979, and later, when the Paimpol visitors visited Romsey in September 1980, they, together with the Romsey twinners, were received by Lord and Lady Romsey at Broadlands.