Birthday celebrations for St Giles Twinning Association

Graft-De Rijp was chosen because it is a similar distance from Amsterdam as Chalfont St Giles is from London and because at the time (before land reclamation), it was roughly the same size as Chalfont St Giles.
While Chalfont St Giles has Milton, Graft-De Rijp's most famous son is Jan Leeghwater, who, in 1612, devised the system for draining polders.
Mary Finey of Townfield Lane, the association's chairwoman, explained that her late husband John was one of four parish councillors who initiated the twinning and said she continues to visit Graft-De Rijp.
"The countryside is lovely, many people have a canal at the bottom of their garden. Most people speak English and are very pro-British," said Mrs Finey.
The association currently has about 70 members and that a visit is planned by the Dutch in May, with a return visit to Holland in September.
Rena Hume of School Lane was the association's first vice chairman and its current president. She said that many enduring friendships have been formed after trips to Holland.
She said: "You get to know the country so much better if you meet the people and share their home, you learn the national values of the country, even their food.
"Dutch people were intrigued by how we ate our boiled eggs at breakfast."
The dinner is being held on Monday, January 12.
Anyone wishing to join the twinning association should phone Mrs Finey on 01494 873 088.