Become A Member of the
Dundee Alexandria Twinning Association
The first twinning link was in 1946 when Dundee twinned with Orleans in France, other links with Wurzburg and Nablus followed.
In 1962 Dundee was twinned with Alexandria a town similar to Dundee in that both are built on the banks of a river with similar size populations.
Since 1962 twinning links have been forged and many friendships made, continuing to this day. In 1993 the then Lord Provost of Dundee, Tom McDonald, invited interested parties to meetings in the City Chambers and from that twinning associations were formed.
The Aims Of Twinning
To promote the fostering of friendship and understanding.
To encourage visits by individuals and groups between the cities, developing personal contacts thus broadening understanding of cultural, educational, recreational and commercial activities between the cities.
To promote and encourage twinning projects between the twin cities and organise fund raising to foster these aims.
About Alexandria
The history of Alexandria reads like a Who’s Who of American History, George Washington, George Mason, and Robert E. Lee are just a few famous Americans who had a hand in the heritage of a city that owes its founding to hard-working Scottish merchants.
In 1669, Scotsman John Alexander purchased the land of present-day Alexandria from an English ship captain for "six thousand pounds of tobacco and cask." In November 1748, three Scottish settlers, William Ramsay, John Carlyle and John Pagan, sailed up the Potomac River from Dumfries, Virginia, to look for a better trading port, and they petitioned the House of Burgesses to establish a town at the location.
They sought the creation of a port to facilitate the shipping and trade of tobacco and other crops between the colony, Europe and Great Britain. The petition was accepted and in May of 1749 Governor Gooch signed the bill establishing the new town. It was to be called Alexandria, in honour of the Scottish Alexander family on whose land it would rise. A few months later, lots were surveyed and auctioned off on a sultry two days, July 13-14, 1749, and thus began Alexandria's 250- year history.
Alexandria now is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a population of approx 130,000. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 6 miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.
Like the rest of northern Virginia, modern Alexandria has been shaped by its proximity to the nation's capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government.
The historic centre of Alexandria is known as Old Town. With its concentration of high-end boutiques, fine restaurants, antique shops, historic buildings and theatres, it is a major draw for tourists and those seeking nightlife. Public transportation, parks and an art centre contribute to the ambience. Like Old Town, several other Alexandria neighbourhoods are compact, high-income suburbs of Washington D.C. But Alexandria has its unique identity from Washington, and is both modern and replete with history.
About the Association
Since 1993 when the Association was launched, many of it’s members have travelled to Alexandria regularly and have enjoyed discovering the city itself and visiting nearby places of interest, in particular in Washington D.C.
In the intervening years numerous visitors from Alexandria have travelled to Dundee. While based in Dundee they have also enjoyed visiting local places of interest and other parts of Scotland. They particularly enjoy the Scottish way of life and are always very interested in our culture.
From these visits in both directions the members of both associations have enjoyed making many lasting friendships.
Various groups have also visited Alexandria and in turn groups from there have been welcomed to Dundee. These include the Schools, Music Groups, Sports Clubs and most recently the Rugby Clubs of both cities.
The Association organises a variety of fund-raising and social events for members and friends throughout the year which include recognition of America’s major celebrations on Thanksgiving and Independence Day.
The major event of the year in Alexandria is the Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend which takes place in December and is an event designed to mark the City’s Scottish ancestry.
The Association has display boards positioned in many locations throughout Dundee which helps to promote awareness of the Association.
Anyone who is interested in the US and its culture is invited to become a member of the Association either individually, as a family or on a corporate basis. The Committee and members of the Association are all very friendly and you will be made very welcome.