A PARTY from Ludlow have been on a good will visit to Pembrokeshire in rural west Wales.

More than thirty members of Ludlow French Twinning and friends paid a goodwill visit to the delightful market town of Narberth.

Regarded as the gastronomic hub of west Wales, the town had lots to offer the Ludlovian visitors.

This gives it a great synergy with Ludlow where the town is noted for its great food and drink as well as two annual Food Festivals.

Highlights of the visit, on a splendid autumn day, were the high street of independent gift, food and clothes shops, the Norman castle, the wonderful antiques centre and the community-inspired bookshop, cafe and museum-the latter created from an old bonded warehouse.

“What surprised us most of all was that a town of fewer than 2,500 residents has been able to retain and provide vital businesses and services which, like Ludlow, have been under constant threat of recession,” said Phil Horsfall, secretary of the Ludlow Town Twinning Group.

“I did not see a closed shop. Quite an amazing and enjoyable visit.”

Ludlow Twinning’s Chair, Grace Wilkins believes that the visit will help to cement relationships between the two towns.

“Our visit will undoubtedly provide a strong catalyst to renewing our interest in, and links with, the Welsh town,” she said.

“We do hope that Narberth can pay a reciprocal visit soon, maybe to the Mayor’s Winter Warmer and Ludlow Winter Festival.”

Ludlow is twinned with two towns. Narbeth in Pembrokeshire is less well known than Le Ferte Mace in Normandy.

It has been visited on many occasions by people from Ludlow usually for periods of a few days at the time.

This year a party of people from the French town came to Ludlow for a visit that included a trip to the Black Country Museum as well as having the chance to see south Shropshire.