French couple marry after falling in love on twin town visits to Buxton

Eric Cieslak and Suzanne Detrait from Buxton's French twin town Oignies have married a year after Eric proposed on a Peak District hilltop; their Buxton hosts John and Jane McGrother travelled to France for the wedding

Eric Cieslak and Suzanne Detrait, who come from Buxton’s twin town of Oignies, first visited England in 2007 while they were both students.

It proved to be the perfect setting to spark a romance, and the pair have been regular visitors ever since, often staying with John and Jane McGrother as part of the Friends of Oignies Twinning Association exchanges.

Last summer Eric and Suzanne climbed up to Solomon’s Temple, where Eric got down on one knee to propose.

The wedding took place earlier this month, and John and Jane were invited to the celebrations.

Jane said: “We were delighted to be invited to the wedding in Oignies.

“We have become very fond of these two young visitors. They love Buxton and this is what twinning is all about.”

Suzanne and Eric might be familiar faces to other people in the town too, as Suzanne worked at the Old Hall Hotel for a few weeks to improve her English, while Eric helped out at Italian restaurant Firenze.

There will be more meet-ups to come later this year on the twinning programme as Buxton association members prepare for a trip to Oignies.

As well as meeting old friends and enjoying French hospitality, they plan to visit the graves of six Buxton soldiers who died in 1940 as the German army took the town.

It follows a French visit to Buxton for a memorial ceremony in Buxton in 2015.