Mayor welcomes in new Dutch double

11:54am Wednesday 12th September 2001

The Mayor of Croydon travelled to our twin town Arnhem in Holland last week to further the historic links and attend the inauguration of the new mayor.

Councillor Peter Hopson and his wife Mayoress Eileen Hopson met their Dutch counterparts Burgomaster (mayor) Pauline Krikke and her partner Ron Miltenburg at the Arnhem Town Hall on Monday, September 3.

Mayor Peter Hopson said: “Part of the relationship between the towns is a very good relationship at mayoral level. The last Burgomaster came to my inauguration, so I was very glad to be invited over there.”

They attended the inauguration ceremony and enjoyed a small mayoral reception, also meeting representatives from the Arnhem Chamber of Commerce to further trade links, before immediately flying back to Britain.

Croydon has had historic links with the Dutch town since the Second World War and the battle of Arnhem in September 1944 when a parachute battalion from Croydon took part in an ill fated attempt to open an Allied route into Germany.

The towns were officially linked in 1985 and the relationship has since grown with a central town square in Arnhem named Croydon Square in 1988.

Coun Hopson added: “It was a very nice occasion where the whole council met to welcome her to the post. We were made very welcome.”