As we approach Blairgowrie and Rattray, the boundary town signs remind us that our town is twinned with Fergus, Ontario, Canada, and Pleasanton, California, USA.

However, on 4 September 2022, during the Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games, a new twinning agreement was signed between Blairgowrie and Rattray and Brebieres in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.

In 2021, the Mayor of Brebieres approached Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council (BRCC) with a view to  establishing a twinning relationship with our town.

A delegation from Brebieres, including the Mayor, attended the 2022 Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games and met representatives of BRCC and the Highland Games chieftain Laurence Blair Oliphant. Brebieres may now be invited to join the Pleasanton- Blairgowrie-Fergus Sister City Organisation (PBFSCO). How PBFSCO began is explained in this extract from the Pleasanton Weekly:

‘In May  of 1994, nearly two dozen Pleasanton residents visited Blairgowrie, Scotland. During their stay, during an evening in a pub the group began to discuss the possibility of becoming an official sister city to Blairgowrie. The actual “twinning” ceremony (as it is called), took place in 1996. When they learned that Blairgowrie had already “twinned” with another North American community, Fergus, Canada, the local group members decided to also “twin” with Fergus, which is located about an hour outside of Toronto, Ontario. That became official in 2000. What all three cities have in common is that each hosts Scottish Games.’

https://www.pleasantonweekly.com/morgue/2006/2006_01_20.ascot20.shtml 

Blairgowrie and Rattray enjoys the appearance of the Pleasanton fire truck during parades and events in the town.  It was donated to our town by Pleasanton.

https://www.fire-engine-photos.com/picture/number21327.asp?c=ok 

The town twinning movement began after WWII when it was hoped that building links with other towns, in Europe in particular, would bring reconciliation following the conflict.

These are just a few of the benefits of town twinning:

It creates an opportunity to form friendships, to exchange ideas and to learn from each other, to discuss problems and share solutions, to experience other cultures and even encourage trade links. During their recent visit, the Brerieres delegation admired our mental health bench trail and our citizen of the year scheme and may well adopt those ideas in their home town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fergus_Ontario 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasanton,_California 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brebieres