coincidentally, champagne-sur-oise is only about twenty miles from the river marne, whose name is said to be the origin of the alternative name of welwyn's mimram river – the maran. this connection was brought about by a migration of the catalauni, the belgic tribe from the champagne region of france, into england stretching north of the thames from london, where the tribe was known as the catuvellauni. in that respect, wafta claims to have resurrected a twinning link first forged nearly 2,000 years ago.