The dancers wore traditional dress
On 17 September Sutton hosted a performance in the town centre from the famous dance group L’Aubade de Quercy, who come from Sutton’s twin town of Gagny near Paris.
The group danced for an hour in Trinity Square in the centre of Sutton, alongside the Pennyroyal Clog Dancers and the East Surrey Morris Men, making it a remarkable international festival of traditional dance. L’Aubade de Quercy specialise in traditional French folk dancing, performed in traditional costume. The group included ladies who demonstrated lace making, traditional in this part of France.
The lace makers
Prior to the performance Richard, as Mayor, welcomed the group to a reception in the Mayor’s Parlour, where the dancers from Gagny presented the borough with an emblem made in lace, and Richard presented them with a copy of the Sutton Coat of Arms.
Richard holding the lace emblem presented to the borough