Marit Warncke, mayor of Bergen; and Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Coun Henry Gallagher, exchanging baubles in St Thomas' Church (Image: Steve Brock Photography)

The mayors of Newcastle and Bergen have celebrated a friendship between the two cities which dates back more than 70 years at the Civic Centre's annual Christmas tree lights switch on. From 1949-2022, Bergen had sent a Christmas tree as a gesture of friendship and gratitude for support during World War II.

The tree has not been sent for the last three years due to environmental concerns, though a delegation from Bergen still head over every November. Instead, the mayors of both cities now gift a Christmas decoration made by local artisans for each other's trees as a continued token of friendship inside St Thomas' Church.

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