Editing London Borough of Wandsworth (section)

=== Schiedam, Netherlands ===
Wandsworth first established a twin town arrangement with [[Schiedam]], in the Netherlands, in 1946.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=In afwachting van het officiële bericht betreffende de adoptie van Schiedam door de Londense voorstad Wandsworth |url=http://scyedam.delinea.nl/kaleida/pagina.php?id=4006721 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=scyedam.delinea.nl}}</ref> A number of refugees from Schiedam who had lived for a time in Wandsworth during World War II hoped to maintain their connections with the London Borough during peacetime.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Het Nieuwe Stadsblad {{!}} 20 juni 1975 {{!}} pagina 13 |url=https://schiedam.courant.nu/issue/HNS/1975-06-20/edition/null/page/13 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Gemeentearchief Schiedam - Krantenkijker |date=20 June 1975 |language=nl}}</ref> The twinning was organised within the scope of the Dutch-English Sports Plan.<ref name=":1" /> In subsequent years multiple sporting fixtures between teams from the two areas were arranged including football,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grootse ontvangst van de Engelse gasten en uitbundige viering van het Koninginnefeest ter gelegenheid van de verjaardag van koningin Wilhelmina. |url=http://scyedam.delinea.nl/kaleida/pagina.php?id=4006963 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=scyedam.delinea.nl}}</ref> swimming,<ref>{{Cite web |title=In het Sportfondsenbad winnen Schiedamse zwemmers de Paroolwisselbeker in een wedstijd tegen zwemmers uit Wandsworth-Engeland. |url=http://scyedam.delinea.nl/kaleida/pagina.php?id=4007529 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=scyedam.delinea.nl}}</ref> gymnastics,<ref>{{Cite web |title=In het Passage Theater geven gymnastiekverenigingen uit Schiedam en Wandsworth een zeer geslaagde show in het uitverkochte theater. |url=http://scyedam.delinea.nl/kaleida/pagina.php?id=4008111 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=scyedam.delinea.nl}}</ref> korfball (Wandsworth has a korfball club, at Tooting)<ref>{{Cite web |last=beckorfballclub |date=2021-11-20 |title=Momentous occasion for Bec Korfball Club |url=https://www.beckorfball.co.uk/single-post/momentous-occasion-for-bec-korfball-club |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=beckorfballclub |language=en}}</ref> and cricket (Shiedam is one of the strongholds for cricket in the Netherlands).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-03-05 |title=Hail Holland, world cricket's unlikely lads |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/bce4de52-cb20-11db-b436-000b5df10621 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/bce4de52-cb20-11db-b436-000b5df10621 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2022-07-27}}</ref>

For many years the wartime connections were acknowledged during annual Remembrance Day commemorations in the two municipalities, either through an exchange of wreaths or by sending a representative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Overzichtsfoto van de jaarlijkse kransleggingsplechtigheid bij het oorlogsmonument aan 'de kop van de Plantage' t |url=https://www.oorlogsbronnen.nl/bron/http%3A%2F%2Fbeeldbank.schiedam.nl%2Fbeeldbank%2Fweergave%2Frecord%3Fid%3De8cbb3df-adb3-0772-6610-b5a037de8da6 |website=Oorlogs Bronnen}}</ref> Within the context of both inter-business exchange and sporting fixtures, visits were also arranged by specific Wandsworth organisations such as Small Electric Motors<ref>{{Cite web |title=Groups from Rediffusion and Small Electric Motors arrive in the Netherlands (1949) |url=https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2021647/beeldbank_weergave_record_id_fb49c5a4_a6e5_cdb9_57c9_6a61f086d0b3 |website=europeana}}</ref> and the [[Rediffusion]] factory,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commemorative ashtray with inscription Rediffusion/Wilton Fijenoord/Whitsuntide (1947) |url=https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2021647/beeldbank_weergave_record_id_1f6514c9_2d60_9215_14d4_a7e53f3c3e5f |website=europeana}}</ref> as guests of their counterparts at Schiedam companies such as Wilton Personnel and Pieterman Glass.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Op de werf Wilton-Fijenoord arriveert een groep Engelse gasten van de Rediffusion fabrieken uit Wandsworth |url=http://scyedam.delinea.nl/kaleida/pagina.php?id=4007182 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=scyedam.delinea.nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Er arriveren twintig personeelsleden van de firma Benham en Co uit Wandsworth voor een vierdaags bezoek aan Schiedam |url=http://scyedam.delinea.nl/kaleida/pagina.php?id=4007153 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=scyedam.delinea.nl}}</ref>

In 1970 a large delegation from Wandsworth visited Schiedam for celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the town's liberation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vote of thanks from Wandsworth Council to the people of Schiedam (1970) |url=https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2021647/beeldbank_weergave_record_id_4fbb32f9_b583_2eb6_6190_fea20874b6d8 |website=europeana}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rotterdamsch Parool / De Schiedammer {{!}} 17 april 1970 {{!}} pagina 2 |url=https://schiedam.courant.nu/issue/SP/1970-04-17/edition/0/page/2 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Gemeentearchief Schiedam - Krantenkijker |date=17 April 1970 |language=nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Het Nieuwe Stadsblad {{!}} 8 mei 1970 {{!}} pagina 10 |url=https://schiedam.courant.nu/issue/HNS/1970-05-08/edition/null/page/10 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Gemeentearchief Schiedam - Krantenkijker |date=8 May 1970 |language=nl}}</ref> Further sporting and cultural exchanges continued through to at least 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Het Nieuwe Stadsblad {{!}} 6 juli 1977 {{!}} pagina 8 |url=https://schiedam.courant.nu/issue/HNS/1977-07-06/edition/null/page/8 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Gemeentearchief Schiedam - Krantenkijker |date=6 July 1977 |language=nl}}</ref> However, in 1997, an article in the Dutch local press observed that the relationship with Wandsworth had lapsed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Musis {{!}} 1 april 1997 {{!}} pagina 127 |url=https://schiedam.courant.nu/issue/MU/1997-04-01/edition/0/page/127 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=Gemeentearchief Schiedam - Krantenkijker |date=April 1997 |language=nl}}</ref>