Coniston twinned with French novelist Marcel Proust's favourite destination

A meeting was to be held at the parish hall on September 7 to find out who was interested in becoming involved in the scheme.

PHOTOGRAPHY: A stunning photograph of Coniston village and The Old Man, which towers above it, taken in 1989

Coniston councillor Derek Butterworth said he had already had some interest from residents.

Coniston would be twinned with Illiers, a small town south west of Paris, on the Loire, where Proust spent his holidays.

In his novel Remembrance of Things Past he renamed the town Combray.

Proust was influenced by Coniston's John Ruskin and after seeing his work he changed his way of thinking.

He wrote: "Suddenly the universe regained, in my eyes, an immeasurable value."

Cllr Butterworth said a French group interested in the idea had already been contacted.

WATER: Tom Hatton, of Standish, near Wigan, starting an underwater walk at Coniston Water in April 1995 to raise money for that October’s Standish Arts Festival. He hoped to walk along the bottom of the width of the lake and back again

"He said: "We think schools could benefit tremendously,

"There could be cultural visits and there may be a tourism spin-off which would help the economy of the village.

"The plan depends on whether enough interest is shown for us to form a committee."

The plans did come to fruition and Coniston was twinned with Illiers Combray two years later in 1996.

John Ruskin School student Michael Walker had won the Coniston logo competition to celebrate the twinning. It showed British and French hands linked.

BOATING: The boat hire office at Coniston Boating Centre in 1995

It was unveiled during the twinning ceremony, which was held while 23 French visitors were staying in homes at Coniston and Hawkshead. During their stay, they travelled to Brentwood, Dove Cottage, the Ruskin Museum and surrounding countryside.

Two copies of the twinning charter were signed by Mayor Jean-Claude Sedillot and twinning committee chairman Francois Nouvellon, along with Christine Ditchfield and Coniston Parish Council chair Anne Hall.

The signing was followed by a lively country dance at the institute.

Prof Michael Wheeler and Cynthia Gamble, of Lancaster University and the University of East Anglia, witnessed the ceremony after they suggested the twin because of the Proust and Ruskin literary connection.