Twinning was created after the Second World War in an attempt to establish better relations between Britain and Germany. This was later expanded to include other countries. Click here to visit the official European Union Twinning website.

Musselburgh Town Council signed a twinning agreement with Champigny-sur-Marne in 1961. They chose Champigny because the Town Clerk's daughter had a pen-friend in Champigny and the two towns seemed similarly situated, each being around 10km from its national capital.

In 1983, Musselburgh signed a second agreement with Rosignano Marittimo, which had been twinned with Champigny since 1962.

The Twinning Agreements pledge Musselburgh and its twins to establish and maintain friendly relations and, through that friendship, to promote cultural, educational, social, economic, tourist, youth and sporting exchanges between their communities.

In the 1974 local government reorganisation, East Lothian Council took over from Musselburgh Town Council as signatory to the Twinning Agreement. East Lothian itself is twinned with the Spree-Neisse District of Germany. Individual towns in East Lothian have a further 5 very active twinning links and 1 sister link. An annual grant from East Lothian Council is the major source of funding for Musselburgh's twinning activities. Click here to find out more about Twinning in East Lothian.

Musselburgh Twinning Association

In Musselburgh, the Twinning Association provides practical support to achieve the aims of twinning. Its members are people who have experienced the benefits of twinning either personally, or as parents (and in some cases both!) or as teachers.

Until Covid, representatives from Musselburgh, Champigny and Rosignano met each year to agree a programme of activities (see photo). We hope to start this again soon.

We had a long-standing series of regular exchange visits, as well as one-off projects.
Click on the links to see more about each one.

• In November 2022 a small group, accompanied by the Provost of East Lothian, visited Champigny to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our Twinning agreement with them.
• In 2020 we hosted a Burns Night celebration
• In March, 2020 we also hosted a conference to celebrate International Women's Day.
• In 2018 a small group from Champigny joined us for East Lothian's Saltire Festival.
• In 2016, we took part in the Riding of the Marches celebrations.

The regular pre-Covid exchanges consisted of:

• An annual event, held in March, to celebrate International Women's Day. This was originally held in Rosignano, but Musselburgh has hosted events in 2005, 2010 and 2020.
  
  
• An International Youth Camp, which each town's Twinning Committee or Youth/Community Service hosts in turn. The last camp was held in 2009 in Champigny.
  
  
• 'Musicantiere' - a rock concert for youth bands, held each year in Rosignano. Musselburgh band 'Havana Fayre' attended in October, 2007 in the sixth such visit.
  
  

• We hold Walking Weekends together with the Musselburgh group of the Ramblers' Association and groups from Champigny and Rosignano.The last one was in Italy in October, 2010. The last Scottish one was in April, 2010.
  
  

Twinning Association members also meet occasionally in the summer to play petanque.

The Association is always keen to welcome people with an active interest in twinning. We normally meet in the Brunton Hall, monthly when things are happening and less often when it is quiet. Click here to see the latest calendar of events..
Click here to send us an email.

Comit de Jumelages de Champigny sur Marne

(Champigny Twinning Committee)

Champigny joined the UN-recognised World Federation of Twinned Towns in 1958. Practical involvement in twinning began with the agreement with Musselburgh in 1961. Agreements with Bernau, in Germany (1962) and Rosignano, Italy (1963) followed soon after. In 1983, a link with Jalapa (Nicaragua) marked a shift in emphasis towards international co-operation and solidarity on a wider front. In 1999, a formal relationship with Camp Al-Fawar, a Palestinian refugee camp on the West Bank, confirmed this trend. In 2008, Champigny twinned with Alpiar a, Portugal.
The Twinning Committee sees its role as opening up opportunities for the citizens of Champigny to be active on the international stage.

The executive committee is supported by around 150 ordinary members.

Regular activities include:

• Alternating annual visits between Musselburgh Burgh Primary School and Ecole Marcel Cachin, Champigny, from 1996 to 2003.
  
  
• An annual work experience visit to Musselburgh and East Lothian by 17-18-year old students from the Lyc e Marx Dormoy
  
  
• Hosting the International Youth Camp, one year in three. The 2009 Camp was held in Champigny.
  
  
• Secondary school exchanges with Rosignano and Bernau

In 2002, when there was no International Youth Camp, Champigny arranged for a group of young people from previous camps to visit Jalapa, Nicaragua. They helped in field schools, funded by Champigny, which educate children who cannot afford to go to normal school. 2 young people from Musselburgh took part.

In November 2003, Champigny celebrated 40 years of twinning by inviting guests from all its twin towns. The Provost of East Lothian, councillors and representatives of Musselburgh Twinning Association attended discussions on twinning and its contribution to european and world peace.

Comitato di Gemellaggio di Rosignano Marittimo

(Rosignano Twinning Committee)

Rosignano twinned with Champigny in 1962, then in 1963 with Pardubice, in the Czech Republic, and in 1983 with Musselburgh. More recently, they have forged a link with Zug, a settlement of the Saharawi people in the Western Sahara.

There is an active Twinning Committee and a twinning association with around 250 members. Activities are concentrated on developing international understanding amongst young people aged 17-25.

Rosignano has hosted a number of mostly annual events in recent years. These include

• A new year's party at the town's own holiday resort in the Appenine hills
• An event in March to commemorate International Women's Day
• The International Youth Camp, one year in three.
• The 'Musicantiere' concert for youth rock bands, in October or December