A group from King's Lynn met representatives from 77 towns across Europe to exchange ideas and cultures as part of celebrations of the international network, the Hanseatic League.

Lynn, once an important trading port, was Britain's first member of the new association of towns and cities across Europe, which historically belonged to the league.

The original medieval league, which comprised a group of merchant settlements around the Baltic and the North Sea, was an influential trading association.

This year, Bergen in Norway played host to an annual convention which featured a Hanseatic market, economic forum, cooking contest and parades.

Lynn town historian Dr Paul Richards, who joined a group of around nine at the festival, said: 'It's a brilliant way to develop inter-country relationships. We were all connected hundreds of years ago so what we are doing is reconnecting and using our heritage to do things for the future.

'Our eyes are very much looking to the future. It's about using our past to make a brighter future.' He said this was the first year England was represented by three locations, Lynn, Hull and Boston.

'People in the main committee are very much aware that over the years King's Lynn has made a very good impression. King's Lynn is seen as making a major contribution to the new Hanseatic League.'

Dr Richards said representing the town abroad encouraged new visitors to the area. He added he did not believe the EU referendum would have a negative impact on the new league, saying it would 'continue in a healthy way' whatever the outcome of the vote.

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