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The sun blazed down yesterday as St. George's and the English town of Lyme Regis exchanged twinning charters in an outdoor ceremony.

Three days before Bermuda celebrates Somers Day, marking the wreck of the Sea Venture -- and the beginning of the permanent settlement of the Island -- under the command of Admiral Sir George Somers, the town where the admiral was born and buried and the And world champion town crier Pluto Venn, from Weston-Super-Mare read a special message of congratulation from the Queen.

The message said: "I am commanded by the Queen to thank the people of Lyme Regis and the people of St. George's, Bermuda, for your very kind message of loyal greetings, sent on the occasion of the twinning of the two towns.

"Her Majesty was delighted to receive the message and sends her good wishes to you all for a most enjoyable event and a successful alliance in the future.'' Lyme Regis -- where Admiral Sir George Somers was born and buried -- and St.

George's -- where he literally left his heart when he died in 1610 -- sealed their friendship three days before Bermuda celebrates Somers Day. That is the anniversary of the wreck of Sir George's ship the Sea Venture , and July 28, 1609 marks the beginnong of the permanent settlement of the Island.

St. George's Mayor Henry Hayward and Lyme Regis Mayor Barbara Austin exchanged paintings of the two towns.

The view of St. George's was painted by Bermudian artist Jill Raine and signed by every member of the Corporation.

Sir Peter Gadsden -- founder chairman of The Bermuda Society in the UK and former Lord Mayor of London, whose wife Lady Belinda is Bermuda-born -- said he hoped the links between the two towns would strengthen over the years.

"A lot of twinnings don't have any real reasons behind them, but there are a lot of historical links here which will act as a real bond,'' he said.

"Everything I've seen has went very well and the weather has been perfect. I hope relationships have been forged today which will grow.'' West Dorset MP Sir James Spicer said: "Lyme Regis and Bermuda share two great things -- a common language and 400 years of shared history and I hope we will go on sharing that in the future.'' Sir James added he was chairman of the Western Foundation for Democracy, which promotes links between free nations.

He added: "Britain should concentrate much more on the English-speaking part of the world instead of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. We need to look after our own and those who remain staunch and loyal over the years really should expect no less.'' He added he had already contacted the UK's multi-million pound National Lottery Fund and asked them to consider giving grants to former colonies to aid restoration of historical sites like forts and museums.

Sir James said: "All these things could and should be built on in the next few years.'' After the twinning ceremony, Bermudian guests were taken to see Sir George Somers' old home, Berne Manor in Whitchurch Canonicorum.

The house -- extensively rebuilt after two major fires in the 1800s and 1927, still stands on the original foundations and has the original flagstones.

Farmer Richard Legg, who has lived there for more than 50 years, said he regularly had visitors from Bermuda who wanted to see the house.

He said: "We should have had a visitor's book for all the names -- there would be a lot.'' He added his parents, who lived in the house before him, had taught him some of the story of the illustrious previous owner.

Mr. Legg said: "My mother went to Whitchurch School and used to stop and look over the wall at the house. She never thought she'd live there.

"They had teams at school and she called hers the Somers team, so she was well aware of the history.'' But wife Dilys said the ghost of Sir George did not stalk the rooms of the house.

She said: "I've never seen or heard anything unusual -- the house does squeak a bit, but that's just age.'' Mr. Legg admitted a working farmer would never have enough cash to restore the house, including replacing the tiles with the original thatched roof.'' Sir George is buried in the nearby church of St. Candida and the Holy Cross, which dates from the 9th Century. His heart is buried in Somers Garens in St.

George's.

After a short service conducted by parish rector the Rev. Robin Fairbrother, Mr. Hayward and Mrs. Austin laid wreaths at a plaque commemorating Sir George.

Mr. Fairbrother said the precise location of Sir George's remains was unknown, but are believed to be beneath the floor of the vestry, formerly a side chapel.

He said: "We do get visitors from Bermuda from time to time because of the associations here and they are always welcome.

The brass plaque in the church reads: "Admiral Sir George Somers, shipmate of Sir Walter Raleigh, coloniser of the Bermudas. Born near Lyme Regis 1554.

Owner of Berne Manor in Whitchurch Canonicorum. Died in the Bermudas 1610.

Buried beneath the old chantry in the present vestry July 4, 1611. Erected by public subscription 1908.

Philip Troake, British Airways general manager in Bermuda, said that the airline -- dubbed the world's most popular in UK adverts -- had thrown its weight behind the twinning and would be offering assistance in the future.

He added the twinning was bound to encourage travel between the two towns.

Mr. Troake said: "The whole thing has been very worthwhile. I don't think enough people from the UK come to visit Bermuda and we could do more in promoting tourism from here.

"This sort of visit helps to promote that and if it tempts just a few people to come and see what we have to offer, it's a good thing.

"British Airways is in the travel business -- we are in some ways the modern equivalent of Sir George Somers and the Sea Venture .

"There have already been discussions about what the St. George's community wants to do in terms of having ceremonies in Bermuda and we will support that in whatever way we can.'' Chris Worsfold, who worked in Bermuda with accountancy firm Kempe and Whittle before buying the Thatch Lodge Hotel in nearby Charmouth, said he had been delighted to be asked to join the twinning committee.

He said his main task was to raise at least $45,000 so a copy of the statue of Sir George which stands on Ordinance Island, St. George's, could be set up on the town's Cobb.