A Weekend of Friendship and Exchange – Valmadrera

On Friday 19th September 2025, Adeep and I travelled from Stansted Airport to Bergamo to join our friends in Valmadrera for a wonderful weekend of sport and culture. We were joined by fellow visitors from Buckingham, Châteauneuf-les-Martigues and Weißenhorn — a real celebration of our twinning links.

The centrepiece was a friendly tennis tournament between Italy and the UK, following last year’s event in Buckingham. I’m delighted to say the Buckingham team came out on top and we look forward to hosting again next year.

The weekend also included a spectacular boat trip on Lake Como, a superb lunch prepared by students at the Aldo Moro School, thoughtful discussions on “Europe: Perspectives”, and a presentation showcasing Buckingham’s artists to a very appreciative audience. It was a full programme, but above all a chance to strengthen friendships old and new.

Despite a long and rather rain-soaked journey home, it was another memorable visit. Our sincere thanks go to Valmadrera for their generous hospitality.

Steve Haines

The weekend was a wonderful demonstration of the true spirit of twinning, promoting sport, culture and friendship in the very best way.

Grazie, Valmadrera! A team of eight from Buckingham LTC had the great pleasure of visiting our twin club, Tennis Club 88, and the experience was nothing short of spectacular.

Our sincere thanks go to Stefano and Pamela for their generous hospitality, and to every member of the Valmadrera club for the warm welcome extended throughout our stay. The memories made, both on and off the court, will stay with us for many years to come, and we very much look forward to returning the hospitality here in Buckingham in the near future.

Adeep Fallouh

For more information, please do take a look at the full article in our latest newsletter.