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The activities in the twin towns

Walk, societies, religion… everybody can find something to match their interests in the two towns and theirs areas. There are some examples of what can be done:

In Llandysul a’r Fro...

In Llandysul a’r Fro, to be involved in a society is to be part of the community. Most of the time people are members of several societies and many have several meetings a week, some several meetings the same night. There are about forty societies, some carry on their business in Welsh and some in English.

There are societies only for women, other only for men, and others are open to everybody. This is a way for people to meet each other at organized talks or dinners for example. These include the twinning committee, sport societies (swimming-pool, football, netball, canoeing…), a club for elderly people, a youth club, pool club, fishing societies, young farmers club, etc …

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Schoolchildren of Plogonnec in Llangrannog

The Welsh League of Youth (Urdd Gobaith Cymru) has a camp in Llangrannog, near the sea, called Gwersyll yr Urdd. As far as possible, all activities take place in Welsh language. This offers opportunities to young people to practice various activities, for example swimming, roller skate, horse riding, artificial skiing, and kart and above all to practice their Welsh. Every year, schoolchildren from Wales and elsewhere, including Plogonnec, stay there about a week.
Because Llandysul is in a Welsh-speaking area, the promotion and protection of the language is very important. It is possible to learn Welsh in the village through intensive courses. For those who decide to study it, there are meetings arranged, where learners can meet with fluent Welsh-speakers (CYD). There are meetings of CYD in Llangrannog, in Llandysul and many other villages. It permits the learners to be more confident and practice the language outside the classroom and to meet other people, learners or not.

Every year, a Christmas fair is organized in Llandysul, as well as a food festival and a carnival in the summer. Those three events attract people in the area at different time of the year.

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Stands
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Schoolchildren’s presentation
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Carreg Las Morris dancers


At the end of the 19th century, the area was famous for the weaving of wool and we can still find many mills, most of them no longer woollen mills. One has become a museum of weaving (Drefach Felindre). Only one is still a water-driven working mill (Rock Mills, in Capel Dewi). It is interesting to visit it to discover the process of treatment of the wool and weaving. The museum is free of charge, as are all national museums of Wales .

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Wool Museum in Drefach-Felindre


In the field of religion, there are several different religious movements. In 1536, Henry VIII decided to split with the Church of Rome and formed the Church of England. Later, other reformers split from the Church of England and established their own local churches and became the Independents. The first Independent chapel was established in Wales in 1639. The Independents do not believe in a hierarchy for the church, it is the congregation (“the church”) who runs the life of the chapel (the building where the congregation meets).

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Tysul Church
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Seion chapel Independents


Other divisions later appeared. Some believed in the adult baptism, (the Baptists), others do not believe in the Trinity but in the Unitarianism, believing that there is only one God and not a Trinity (the Unitarians). The Independents, the Unitarians and the Baptists are grouped together as Nonconformists.

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Penybont Chapel Baptists
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Graig Chapel Unitarians


In 1812, another group parted with the Anglican Church to form the Methodists Church . In 1820 some Methodists following the ideas of John Wesley became the Wesleyan Methodists. They have a different theology. Today, both of movements are part of the Nonconformists Church .

There are six religious movements more or less different: the Anglican Church and the Nonconformists, which includes Independents, Unitarians, Baptists, Methodists and Wesleyan Methodists. Added to these differences, there are also chapels where the religious service is in Welsh and others where it is in English. In the Church in Llandysul services are held in Welsh and English, at different times. Not all these religious movements are present in Llandysul a’r Fro now, but most did exist until recently.

In Plogonnec...

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leisure centre

In Plogonnec, people can take part in about thirty societies. The twinning committee is one of them. It is also possible to practice sport (walking, cycling, football, basket-ball, table tennis, gymnastics…). Youth Club, elderly peoples club, hunting, war veterans club, and so on.

ULAMIR e Bro Glazik is an organization engaged in creating and supporting activities in rural area, which was created in 1982. It is part of the life of the community. It is based in five communes bordering Quimper : Plomelin, Pluguffan, Plonéïs, Guengat and Plogonnec. Its aims are:

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† To help societies in their task of creating activities. † To study the needs in the socio-educative fields and to inform the public services of what should be done. † To organize and produce socio-educative activities in all the all communes.

Some activities are organized in each town, some in only one, but everybody can join. These are some examples of activities organized by ULAMIR in Plogonnec:

† Computer science club † Yoga † Nature club † Héritage club † Discussion group on various subjects…

Some activities are created for young people, especially during the school holidays: swimming pool, skating ring, sport, work camp …

Supporting Breton culture, an evening of crepes and cider followed by a fest-noz is set up every year by the twinning committee. The students of the Breton dance in Plogonnec have an opportunity to practise what they have learnt.

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Crêpes
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Fest-noz


Plogonnec has a very rich religious patrimony. There are seven chapels and many calvaries and crosses all around the commune. Most of these were built between the 15th and the 17th century, time of prosperity for the town. All church and chapels are in the Roman Catholic faith. The religious services are only in the parochial church, Saint-Thurien. Each chapel is dedicated to a different saint. One service a year is held in each chapel on saint’s feast day (pardon). Each chapel has a society, which works towards preserving and maintaining the chapel, organizing the pardon and so on.

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St-Denis’ Chapel
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St-Pierre’s Chapel
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St-Albin’s Chapel
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St-Thelau’s Chapel


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Notre Dame de la Lorette’s Chapel
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St-Thegonneg’s Chapel
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St-Thurien’s Church


The pardon of Saint Ronan in the neighbouring commune of Locronan is very well known. Every six years, a Grande Tromenie takes place. The route stretches 7.5 miles (12 km) cutting across the communes of Locronan, Plonevez-Porzay, Quéménéven and Plogonnec, sometimes following roads, sometimes across fields. The way is open for the week of the Tromenie and individuals walk it both day and night, as well as in the grand procession on the Sunday at the beginning and the end of the week. This walk commemorates the walk made by Saint-Ronan every week. Small huts representing the chapels of each commune are set up around the circuit. The other five years, a smallest Tromenie of 2.5 miles (4 km) takes place. It commemorates his daily walk.

For one who likes walking, the woods of the Nevet (la forêt du Nevet) offers several footpaths. Starting from the chapel Saint-Thelau, it is possible to walk up through the wood of Duc (le bois du Duc) to “La Motte” which is the highest point in the commune. From there, there is a good view of the bay of Douarnenez . And returning by the road to Plogonnec, there is a panoramic view on the centre of town.

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