This connection with Spain is marking its 20th anniversary which is some considerable achievement.

Over the years, different partner schools have been involved but they have all been located in the orange-growing region of Valencia.

In the past our visitors have usually come in April when there's more chance that the weather will be kindly.

But due to timetable considerations which suit both schools, the schedule was recently changed in favour of early February.

Quite a challenge for our southern, sun-lapped neighbours and we must hope there's no repeat of the post-Christmas freeze. During their stay the students will live with families here and thus experience our way of life in a very real sense.

There's nothing like mixing it with different routines, habits, customs, and food – not to mention the critical factor of language and communication.

Experience has shown that the vast majority come through it with flying colours, thoroughly enjoy the encounter and often make long-lasting friendships.

The other part of the equation, of course, obliges our students to make the trip to Valencia.

This has regularly been arranged to coincide with the festival of Las Fallas, which always includes St.Joseph's Day, March 19.

By that stage the oranges are starting to ripen and sunshine accompanies most days.

The festival itself is one big street-party which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world.

With fireworks exploding by day and by night and a host of open-air attractions, the Fakenham teenagers are in for a treat they are unlikely to forget.

I have to declare an interest in all this, having accompanied groups to Spain on about ten occasions.

But the real dynamo who has kept the whole show on the road over the past twenty years, is Anne Prentis, head of languages at Fakenham.

Her determination to foster and preserve these links despite many obstacles along the way has enabled hundreds of young people, hopefully, to become better Europeans.

Every time I cycle past the emptying windows of the MPG Leisure store on Norwich Road I wonder what happened to this enterprise.

Back in the summer it opened with great fanfare and all manner of claims about the jobs it would create and its plans to invest millions of pounds into the local economy.

For a while there was a very upbeat atmosphere surrounding the place.
Contacts had been made with schools, the store was filled with bikes, camping gear and other leisure items and customers were coming through the doors.

But as the weather closed in through the autumn, it became obvious that the business was stalling, if only because so few people were bothering to go inside and buy.

On the occasions when I did so, the shop was virtually deserted. Before Christmas most of the stock was advertised for sale at very cut prices, virtually signalling the end.

Since when the windows have been gradually cleared and we're back to yet another empty store as part of our townscape.

Back in August after I had interviewed the MPG Leisure manager I wrote a Wensum which contained the following sentence: 'Obviously the company will succeed or fail on its profits for as others have found out, there's no sentiment in economics.'

I had no idea at the time just how quickly all the aspirations would dissolve.

Fakenham Area Partnerships holds its AGM tomorrow evening at the community centre. Representatives of community groups in the town and its surrounding parishes are welcome to attend.

The guest speaker is Michael Castle, the experienced coordinator of Stalham and Happing Partnership. The meeting is due to start at 7pm.