Page 13 - Police World Edition 2 2013

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Pearl Devonshire, from Hertfordshire branch, reports on a
wonderful experience resulting from a Notice Board posting. Her
son Shaun got on with his new French pen-pal so well that she
invited him to the UK for a week long visit.
T he main reason for responding to
Flavien’s pen-pal request was to help
improve my son Shaun’s spoken French
and likewise to help Flavien with his written
English.
From the very first letter the boys were well
suited, both serious Arsenal fans and they also
share a love of games consoles. Flavien’s father
is a policeman in Lille. Veronique, his mother,
teaches German and like my husband, Ian, is a
local town councillor - so we had plenty of
common ground which made it easier to get to
know one another. Flavien’s family live in a town
in the north of France called Erquinghem-lys,
which is around 20 minutes from Lille.
Flavien’s parents and I communicated regularly
via email and through this arranged for Flavien
to come and visit us in Hertfordshire during the
summer of 2012. With dates confirmed we
excitedly waited for his arrival, and on the 12
August we travelled into London to meet Flavien
and his mother Veronique at St Pancras Station.
The boys hit it off instantly, as did Veronique and
I. Luckily both Flavien and his mum spoke really
good English - as my French is terrible. Shaun
and Flavien conversed in both French and
English on the journey back home to
Hertfordshire. Shaun, showed Flavien and his
mum around our village, visiting the museum
and the famous Great Bed of Ware.
Veronique was only in the UK for one day to
make sure Flavien was settled and had
arranged for a late train back that evening. But
before leaving, Flavien and his mum went to
visit Greenwich and the Cutty Sark with Shaun
and my husband. The weather was amazing and
the views breathtaking as all the Olympic
venues were still set up and London was still
caught in the post Olympic buzz.
The next few days were very busy and filled with
trips to Hertford town and trips to the cinema
with Shaun’s friends - and various other outings
we had arranged for him. The week flew by so
quickly.
We arranged to visit London once more before
Flavien went home. Taking in all of the sights
from the Millennium bridge, the Tower, ferry trips
on the Thames, changing of the guard and
amazingly also fitted in enough time for
two teenage boys to go shopping!
On Favien’s last day I arranged for him to
visit Hertford police station and meet up
with some other members of the Hertfordshire
branch of IPA, Emily Hughes and Phil Rosier. He
was able to see police vans, cars and try on
various parts of our kit as well as visiting our IPA
office in Hoddesdon police station.
Flavien fitted in to our family so well and his
friendship with Shaun was instant, as well as
with our younger son Kyle, who didn’t want him
to go home.
In October, 2012, Shaun visited Flavien in
France. Again the boys had a fun week filled
with swimming, football, archery, laser shooting
and a visit to a circus in Lille.
We still keep in contact via email and Facebook
and hope to have Flavien visit us again this
summer.
I would definitely recommend responding to
Youth Exchange and Pen-pal requests to any
of our members with teenagers who wish to
improve their languages and visit different
countries. Shaun’s French has certainly
improved because of his new friendship with
Flavien - mine on the other hand is still rubbish!
Pearl Devonshire
Flavien meets an officer from Hertfordshire
At the Tower
Pearl, Shaun and Flavien in London
Article
Youth Exchange
Forges French
Friendship
Police World Vol 58 No.2 2013
Interested in
having a pen-pal?
Visit:www.ipa-
uk.org/Notice-Board