FOR 50 years, Ely has been twinned with the Danish city of Ribe. The golden anniversary will be celebrated with the unveiling of a special tapestry in the Maltings in September – and the Ely Ribe Association is appealing for photographs, memories and mem

FOR 50 years, Ely has been twinned with the Danish city of Ribe.

The golden anniversary will be celebrated with the unveiling of a special tapestry in the Maltings in September - and the Ely Ribe Association is appealing for photographs, memories and memorabilia of twinning events over the past half-century.

They will be used to help produce a souvenir booklet available at the unveiling on Friday, September 22.

The following day, there will be a commemorative Evensong service in Ely Cathedral and a dinner.

These events will be the highlights of a three-day visit by a group from Ribe, where the tapestry is being woven by Mona Martinussen to a design by artist Ullrich Rossing.

Ullrich visited Ely in September 2004 and was struck by the common themes in the history of the two cities and their surroundings. Many of these features have been captured in his design.

Commissioned by the Ely-Ribe Association, the tapestry has been funded largely by the City of Ely Council and will remain the property of the city as a lasting memento of its long connection with its Danish counterpart.

The twinning was agreed at a special meeting in Ribe in September 1956. The Ely signatories were the then Dean, the Very Rev Patrick Hankey, and the vice-chairman of Ely Urban District Council, Col John Beckett.

The Rotary Clubs and Round Tables of both cities were also closely involved in the early days.

The first "official" visit from Ribe to Ely came in 1957 but it was not until the late 1980s that exchange visits involving groups of residents from both cities became well established.

Today, the Ely Ribe Association promotes and organises trips to and from Ribe and makes links between groups and organisations. It also stages social and fund-raising events.

Two events in April will raise money for the tapestry. An auction will be held with the Ely-Hereward Rotary Club at the Lamb Hotel, on Wednesday, April 5, at 8pm, and a coffee morning is planned for the Cathedral Centre on Saturday, April 8, from 10am-noon.

INFO: Contact Win Hughes on 01353 610890 or e mail: elyribe.association@ntlworld.com