Newsletter of AOUG in Yorkshire (07)
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Handshake Visit to Brugge, November 2011.
The AOUG in Yorkshire Committee meets three times a year and at our mid-summer meeting we start to plan for the following year. So it was in July 2010 that a member suggested a day trip to Hull. The initial idea then expanded into the exciting possibility of a trip abroad which quickly developed into a handshake event in Belgium. It was a brave, but worthwhile, decision.
So, sixteen months later, a group of Yorkshire members found themselves in Hull on a cold November Sunday morning. Most of us met for coffee and then lunch before proceeding to the Ferens Art Gallery for a stroll round the exhibits. It is a relatively small gallery so not intimidating. One member found a picture he was looking for and I saw my first work by Jakob Kramer, a name I was familiar with from the College in Leeds.
We then drove out to find the Ferry Terminal and met up with the last member of our group. The ship looked large enough to give us confidence and we boarded in high spirits. We found our cabins and met up for dinner. The food was very good if a bit expensive. We sailed smoothly out into the North Sea, and, after a relaxing evening, we settled into our bunks. We docked in Zeebrugge a little late, as we had run into fog during the crossing and had to slow down.
After changing our watches and having breakfast, we left our luggage in our cabins and set foot in Belgium. A bus took us to Brugge. We were dropped by the Rail Station and we walked into the centre where we met up with our European Local Contact. Coffee inside a café with a live fire was a welcome respite from the cold. The buildings in Brugge are magnificent and varied. Some of us had booked a bus tour of the city and we climbed onto the minibus to see parts of the city that would not have been possible on foot – there is simply too much of it. We all met up for lunch in the main square, and those of us who had been on the bus suggested that we needed to come back again for a longer visit as there was so much to see ( and all the wonderful museums were closed as it was Monday). We did manage to find the Chocolate Story Museum open. It was interesting but the four stories of the building were just too much for some members. It had looked quite a modest size from outside!
We finished our visit in the shops off the main square, chocolate, lace and wooden toys, etc., then caught a bus back to the station to wait, after more coffee, for the coach back to Zeebrugge. Dinner, another relaxing evening, a good sleep and a smooth crossing brought us back to Hull. Another great AOUG in Yorkshire excursion had been successfully completed. Our thanks go to Jean and Malcolm who had undertaken the organisation and to Patricia Cowling who had travelled from Normandy to meet us.
Executive Representative - Lesley Sleigh
Yorkshire`s Forbidden Corner
Had I drawn the short straw? I’d never heard of the “Forbidden Corner” before but having waited whilst all the rest of the Yorkshire Committee picked which of the many suggested activities to be responsible for organising for our monthly calendar, I had been left with this. I had no idea what I had I let myself in for! However I need not have been concerned for this turned out to be, not only one of our most unusual outings, but also one of the most fun. Yes and I do mean fun! - as we all rediscovered our inner child as we explored the labyrinth of gates, mazes, tunnels, caves, castles etc throughout this magnificently developed site. Along with the adults were three junior aged children and two teenagers, all of whom enjoyed every minute of it.
As we entered this strange world through a giant mouth, we came across a large stone book instructing us that as we travelled through the kingdom we must close every door or gate behind us, which we obediently did, only to find that once closed, we could not return as the doors did not open from the other side!! Some were out in the open like the iron work four sectioned gate which only worked in one direction at a time and needed you to find the way around to approach it from another angle to get out to the side. (Mind you the younger of the children managed to squeeze through sideways leaving Granny fighting with numerous bags plus her own girth to try to follow them.) Paths led up castle walls, and along twisting corridors, around hedge mazes and down into caverns below. There were always choices of which path to take, but there was no map. I know that in my past life as a junior teacher, I would have had my heart in my mouth from a risk assessment point of view, but somehow through the whole day with children everywhere I didn’t see a single one hurt, lost or crying in fear. Screaming in delight yes, squealing as they were soaked in water from a sudden unexpected jet but crying, no.
The children with us, raced off and we followed - pretending we were only doing it to keep up with them, but secretly loving ever minute. Thus although I’m not keen on dark narrow spiral staircases, once in there I continued and it was certainly worth the momentary concern, as at the bottom of this particular passage were animated, mice, being schooled in the dangers of cats, and a mice army parading up and down. On each side, a peep through an opening revealed more mice all busy about their work in their underground world. Another part of the complex took us through a along a path, in a peaceful garden with elegant statues, which turned the corner to a series of stepping stones along the centre of a stream - step on the wrong part of a stone and water fountains shot in the air, suddenly soaking the unwary. From here we went through a castle gateway and down a winding tunnel which led us into a domed cavern with coloured lights and a pool in the centre. Around the walls were numerous doors, but which one to chose? Statues, skeletons or blank walls hid behind some but two choices led us out again, one to a wood panelled stairway with portrait pictures as in a stately home and another through more watery surprises.
At every turn a new surprise awaited us - through a garden arch to be drenched by a replica of the little boy in Brussels - alon
g a path where a horses` head popped over the wall, around a corner to find a vulture hovering above you, through a wood to a group of bears picnicking, or wild boar in a sty (model ones, I hasten to add) and up to a viewing platform to watch the deer - a real live herd this time. There was no right way to go and I’m sure that were we to go again we might discover many more things we had missed on this visit but finally having gone around and around discovering different bits every time, we arrived at a courtyard garden, full of herbs and cottage garden plants, with ornate gates, frog fountains and mosaics pictures and we were back at the visitors centre.
The day pass would have allowed us out to walk in the extended country park and down to the landscaped lake and then to return to explore once more but now drenched and tired but very, very happy we decided to retire to the café and share all our exploits before journeying home. The older children who, although not wanting to be photographed because it might have damaged their “street cred.” with school friends, having shared this visit with their grandparents, had enjoyed it so much that they returned a few weeks later to show their parents all they had discovered!
Jean Hertzog - Region 07