In 1975 Messines was
twinned with the small New Zealand
town of Featherston
in the Wairarapa, home to a
large World War One military training camp. Since
the twinning there has been close contact between the two towns and in November
2005 a New Zealand Weekend at Messines
marked the 30th
anniversary.The town mounted a large exhibition in its sports hall, and the New Zealand
Embassy in Brussels, supported by producers and vineyards, served barbecued New
Zealand beef, venison and lamb as well as kiwifruit and a selection of New
Zealand wines to some 300 people attending an afternoon concert by the
London-based Maori cultural group Ngati Ranana.The area in front of the town's church is
named Featherston Square and
features a large stone map of New Zealand laid into the footpath with
Featherston marked by a metal disc. The
street leading from the Armentières road
to the New Zealand Memorial is named New Zealanders Street.
More summaries about the Twinned with Featherston