Driving through this tiny UK village, you might miss the church and pub tucked amongst the yellow stone cottages. However, its sign declaring it’s ‘Twinned with Paris’ can’t go unnoticed.

The village of Whitwell in the county of Rutland, in the East Midlands, is rather unassuming. It is not to be confused with the village of the same name in North Hertfordshire. Instead, this small village in Rutland has fewer than 50 residents and just a few amenities.

So, how did it become unofficially twinned with Paris, as its white road sign at the start of the village makes clear that it is?

It all goes back to 1980, when a group of friends were putting the world to rights. Over a pint at a local pub, they had the quirky idea of requesting an international partnership with the then Mayor of Paris.

But did this tiny village in the middle of the British countryside really have the power to make such a demand? No.

Despite never receiving a response from the mayor, the pals added to their missive that if they did not hear back, they would assume Paris had accepted their offer. So the tiny village of Whitwell declared itself unofficially linked to the European city.

Even though it was far from a legitimate title, that didn’t stop them from displaying a large, white road sign that reads, ‘Twinned with Paris’, at the start of Whitwell. The sign was proudly put up in the village, and a French-themed parade marked the unofficial event.

Julie Healey, who was the landlady of The Noel Arms at the time, told the BBC: “Basically, we had this outside toilet, a pissoir (French for urinal) as we called it, and using that is what gave [the regulars] the idea. They were great characters. It was very tongue-in-cheek – our ‘mayor’ was wearing a toilet chain. But the parade was a lot bigger than we were expecting, there were hundreds of people – we don’t know where they all came from.”

Robin Church, a former parish clerk, added: “It’s amazing what a few pints of beer can do”.

Eventually, the village received a reply from France, and, as expected, it was a firm “non” due to it already being twinned with Rome, and perhaps because it bears little resemblance to the UK village.

Yet, the sign remains in Whitwell today, with passersby and visitors still believing it holds this bizarre status, seemingly bestowed over a pint at the pub. While the village is tiny, its enchanting buildings and its picturesque setting among the rural landscapes of the East Midlands offer that quintessential England.

There’s the local pub and hotel called The Noel at Whitwell, along with St Michael & All Angels church. But just outside of the village is the sprawling landscape of Rutland Water Nature Reserve with lagoons, islands, and “1,000 acres of wild habitat”.

Nearby, there’s also the charming town of Oakham, with cosy coffee shops like Fika serving up a tasty brunch and Hungry Birds offering a selection of sweet treats. It’s also home to a catalogue of independent shops, restaurants and bars, perfect after a walk around Oakham Castle.

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