Selby is forging new relationships with a brand new transatlantic partner…Selby…Ontario!

Selby Town Council has formally approved a twinning agreement with the council of Greater Napanee in Ontario, forever linking our town with its Canadian namesake – the small settlement of Selby, located in a farming heartland 140 miles northeast of Toronto.

This nascent 3,300 mile friendship is the result of a new podcast project created by Canadian comic and America’s Got Talent contestant John Hastings, and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and Pittancer of Selby Tim FitzHigham, with support from the Town Hall team at Selby Town Council.

In ‘A Tale of Two Selbys’, Tim and John set out to investigate the story behind Selby, Ontario. How did Canada get a Selby? What does this tell us about cultural identity? Are there any historic links between the two? And more importantly, why are they not connected now, and can this be remedied? Meeting residents, schools, clergy, community representatives and more, Tim and John aim to open up a new conversation between the two towns, to broaden horizons and awaken a cultural curiosity.

“I am so excited by the way ‘A Tale of Two Selbys’ is progressing” said co-creator Tim FitzHigham. “It’s amazing that two places with a shared history and people now have a shared present and a future. I’m incredibly grateful to all of those who have been involved so far, in both Selbys. John and I have had so much fun…and it’s not over yet!”

The first nine ‘dispatches’ are available now on Apple Podcasts and other popular podcast apps, with further episodes planned as the links between both Selbys develop.

Having helped forge friendships through digital interaction, Tim and John are now working to develop a live show, based on the podcast series, to take place simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic later in the year. In a plan which the pair admit is ‘ambitious, possibly unhinged’, John hopes to perform in Selby, Ontario and Tim in Selby, North Yorkshire, with the two venues connected by a live video link allowing the performers and town residents to interact.

‘A Tale of Two Selbys’ is part of New Conversations, a programme funded and delivered by the British Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Farnham Maltings and the High Commission of Canada in the UK, and Selby Stories, the cultural programme for the Selby High Street Heritage Action Zone. Running until late 2023, special events will celebrate the town, its history and what makes it unique.

The HSHAZ is part of a government-funded initiative led by Historic England. It aims to breathe new life into local high streets, from regenerating historic buildings to engaging local communities through art and cultural projects. Selby is one of more than 60 high streets in the country to receive a share of funding from Historic England, along with funding from Selby District Council.