Members of an exchange group set up to foster links with Shipley’s twin town of Hamm will be celebrating 40 years of friendship later this month.

The Shipley Hamm Exchange Club was founded to support football matches between teams from the two towns and has gone on to provide yearly social gatherings for hundreds of members.

The football matches, initially involving Crag Road United, started after then 15-year-old Bingley Grammar School student Joyce Reisner took part in an exchange to the German town where she met artist Jockel Reisner, who she married ten years later.

Mr Reisner, who visited Bradford as a teenager, designed the Bradford Fire Disaster Memorial in Centenary Square, which was donated as a gift from the people of Hamm.

After Crag Road United travelled to Hamm in 1970, a return visit was arranged and, in a bid to find accommodation for the visiting team, other football clubs in Shipley were contacted.

Former exchange club president Harry Parkin, who was then a member of a football club in Wrose, said his team mates were initially wary of helping out.

He said: “We were all a little bit reticent. We had had no contact with German’s at all. We took a bit of persuading and in the end the guys came out and they turned out to be a great bunch and from then on we started to hold an exchange every year.

“We have met some wonderful people out there. It changed our initial attitude about German people. We have really enjoyed going out there.”

Mr Parkin, whose daughter Trudy and 11-year-old granddaughter Felicity Woodhouse, are also involved in the club, added: “We are very proud the group has managed to run for 40 years. We have helped build bridges between the two countries.”

Around 40 German members of the club will travel to Shipley to celebrate its 40th anniversary on Friday, July 27.

Their week-long visit will also include trips to York and Whitby as well as an Olympic-themed sports competition at Esholt Cricket Club and farewell dance.

Any former members who would like to take part should contact Val Cookson on (01274) 585791.