West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has offered her support to plans to twin Malvern with a French Pyreneean spa town. Harriett met with Stéphane Barthe, who is deputy mayor of Bagnères-de- Bigorre, to discuss plans to build closer links with Malvern. He has been meeting with local dignitaries during a week-long visit to the town to discuss the proposal for twinning with Malvern. Bagneres-de-Bigorre has a thriving business attracting health tourists to sample its famous spa treatments and it is famous for its nearby ski resorts and the renowned Col du Tourmalet which is a regular feature in the mountain stages of the Tour de France cycle race. Harriett commented: “I am pleased to add my support to the efforts to twin Malvern and Bagnères-de- Bigorre. Both towns are fabulous tourist destinations with a long history of the health-giving qualities of its waters. “I think cyclists may find their mountains slightly tougher than our Wyche cutting but it strikes me that we do have a lot in common. “It is important that twinning is not just something enjoyed by local government representatives so I will be mentioning this venture to local head teachers when I meet them to see what we can do to establish links between schools in both towns.” Photo: Bagnères-de-Bigorre deputy mayor Stéphane Barthe meets with Malvern MP Harriett Baldwin.