More than 50 visitors from Germany came to Royston at the weekend to celebrate 50 years of town twinning.

The visitors came from Royston's twin town of Großalmerode, and included school students, teachers, musicians, footballers and the mayor.

They arrived on Friday, April 26 for a packed weekend of events, staying with host families in the town.

The towns' partnership emerged through a common interest in crucibles between Johnson Matthey in Royston and the 400-year tradition of crucible making in the Großalmerode region.

The inaugural visit to Großalmerode took place in 1974, and included 17-year-old Sandra Ready.

For Sandra, who took part in the weekend's visit, this sparked regular exchanges and a six-week reciprocal visit between her and her German friend Martina, helping both learn about each other's language and culture.

To mark the 50th anniversary, Royston Town Band, Development Band and members of the German Musikzug gave a concert on Friday evening, celebrating the bands' partnership since 1983.

On Saturday there was an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia at Royston Museum, along with a crucible clay-making workshop and a pop-up stall of cakes from Kelly's Kitchen.

Anyone involved in twinning over the years added their painted fingerprint to two commemorative plates, donated by Glazed Creations.

One plate will stay in Royston, while the other will be presented in Großalmerode during the return visit in October.

An official reception was held at Royston Town Hall on Saturday evening, with more than 150 'twinners' attending, both past and present.

School students led a cultural quiz, and attendees were invited to add their twinning photos to a display board.

Mayors of both towns made speeches, and Großalmerode rock band The Graveyard Blondes made their debut performance in Royston.

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Sheila Ball, chair of Royston and District Twinning Association, said: "A huge thank you to all host families, Royston Town Band & Development Band, Royston Museum, Glazed Creations, the Royston yarnbombers, Kelly’s Kitchen, Backstreet Catering and St John Baptist Church."

She also thanked Johnson Matthey and Herts County Council for their support.

To commemorate the anniversary, North Herts Council has named the footpath around the Twigdens estate 'Großalmerode Way'.