Samois-sur-Seine is a very pleasant town / village about 60km south of Paris, close to Fontainebleau; in fact the residents boast of Samois having "its head in the forest and its feet in the Seine".  It is certainly a wonderful place to visit, with plenty to see in the area and the people are incredibly welcoming.  The Jazz musician Django Reinhardt lived there until his death and the village is now famous for its annual Jazz Festival (all types of jazz – gypsy, blues, big band) which, for many years, was held at Samois in June, on the island in the middle of the Seine.  Musicians and fans congregate there from all over the world.  Since 2016, the festival has been held in nearby Fontainebleau.  

The Twinning Association was formed in 1997 and in November of that year a small group of 8 people paid their first visit to Harbury – a great success.  This was followed by the official inaugural ceremonies in Samois in March 1998 and in Harbury in October 1998.  Since then, a party of 'twinners' has crossed the Channel in one direction or the other almost every year since and, during that time, firm friendships have been made, and many individual visits taken among the twin families.