A new mural has been unveiled in a French city as part of an ongoing friendship with the people of Ipswich.
Arras and Ipswich were twinned in 1993, and in a nod to the relationship have a square in their respective town and city centres dedicated to each other.
Ipswich's Arras Square sits at the back of St Stephen's Church, while Arras' Ipswich Square is marked with a red telephone box that doubles as a book exchange.
On Saturday, the mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Elango K Elavalakan, visited the northern French city, as they unveiled another monument to celebrate the twinning.
A fresco made up of plaster and painted in the style of a Tudor house was created by French artist Bertrand Parse.
The artwork has been called Place d'Ipswich, or Ipswich House, and was presented by the city's mayor Frédéric Leturque.
Cllr Elavalakan said: "I was delighted to visit Arras for the unveiling of the artwork representing an Ipswich House, which is a wonderful physical reminder of the bonds between our communities.
“It was a pleasure to meet the Mayor of Arras and also to be joined by members of the Ipswich Arras Association."
It was made with the help of the Ipswich Arras Association, a group that was formed in 2000 to celebrate and educate people about the twinned locations.
The residents of the surrounding areas also contributed financially for the making of this artwork, as they wished to brighten their neighbourhood and transform it.
A spokesperson for Arras' council said: "A collective of residents of Ipswich town square and surrounding streets led a project to embellish the town centre square.
"A trompe-l'œil fresco highlighting the atypical facades of the English town centre was created on the electrical transformer."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel