AN exhibition has opened that celebrates the ties between Manchester and the French town of Mézières – which reach back 100 years having been forged in the crucible of devastation wrought by the First World War.
The Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Sue Cooley was joined by the Mayor of Charleville-Mézières, Boris Ravignon, at Manchester Central Library at on Monday 13 April to officially open the new exhibition.
Mézières, which is located in the Champagne-Ardenne region and was renamed Charleville-Mézières in 1966, was deeply affected by the First World War and was ravaged by bombs that destroyed the hospital and much of the town centre.
On 10 June 1920 Manchester officially adopted Mézières under the authority of the then Lord Mayor Tom Ford. This lead to an outpouring of generosity from the people of Manchester, who raised money to help rebuild the French town. To this day Mézières boast a Manchester district in honour of the city’s generosity.
The exhibition will provide a chance to explore the remarkable link between Charleville-Mézières and Manchester and feature imagines from the 1921 Lord Mayor’s Pageant (which helped raise funds), archive news cuttings and a medal that was presented to Manchester to mark the support given to Mézières.
Manchester Central Library will host the exhibition that runs from 13 April -30 May 2015.
