A YEAR of golden jubilee celebrations for the friendship link between Rossendale and its German twin town of Bocholt has got off to a tremendous start.

More than 70 visitors from Rossendale were in town for the annual Rosenmontag Karneval weekend and they took the chance to present a carved wooden plaque, introduce Bocholt to the Britannia Coconut dancers, enter a float in the Karnival procession and even make black puddings!

The Friends of Bocholt presented a carved beechwood plaque to the town to mark 50 years of the twinning link, which has been placed in the historic town hall alongside other memorabilia marking Bocholt's links with five European countries.

The plaque was unveiled by Friends, together with one of Bocholt's three Deputy Mayors, Frau Ilse Tekampe.

She said: "The plaque, depicting Rossendale hills and Bocholt's emblem of a beech tree, is a symbol of the deep roots of the friendship between the two towns."

Before the unveiling, Stacksteads Brass Band accompanied the Britannia Coconut dancers in three of their famous traditional dances. The Nutters then presented Frau Tekampe with a 50th Anniversary glass crystal paperweight. For the first time, the Nutters danced in Germany in front of one of their biggest-ever audiences at the Rosenmontag Karneval procession.

They danced for four hours along the route with 120,000 spectators lining the streets and 140 giant floats wound through the town, but secretary of the Friends Tim Nuttall, said the greatest cheers were saved for the Nutters and Stacksteads Brass Band.

The Friends were in the parade for the 15th year and combined with local Karneval group 'Luckenbusser.'

Their float was a giant champagne bottle and glass with the message '50 years of Friendship -- Golden Jubilee of twinning.'

Coconutter and butcher Andrew Holt, took the opportunity to take his work to Bocholt, when he joined local butcher Sven Sevink in making black puddings to Andrew's prize-winning recipe.

Black pudding is well known in Bocholt, where it is traditionally eaten cold, but Tim said: "Andrew's more spicy recipe was a novelty and a hit with those who sampled his work during the Karnival procession.

"Andrew took his secret ingredients with him and combined them with local ingredients provided by Herr Sevink."

Many more events are planned in both Rossendale and Bocholt to mark the Jubilee year, with a climax in Rossendale in October, when more than 200 Bocholters will be here for a weekend of celebrations, including sporting and music events.