This Week in Wijnjewoude 2020: Week 23 I'm Workin' On It

Week 23

With Ben's help, I've been working on a new blog/website...

https://jacoba.detwabuken.nl/

Not there yet, but I have been enjoying looking at some of my previous ramblings...

...a click on the purple "Boat Trips" opens up a list of 3 boat trips...(but I have to sort out the menu)

Blokzijl 2013

Dokkum 2014

The Voyage of Jacoba 2018

I used to be able to upload websites and things but I have totally forgotten how to do it - so Ben has helped me out with a far easier (and newer) way of doing it.

I surprised myself with just how much I have written before - mostly with the aid of photos from the smartphone era, but a few older ones as well.

It's partly a Lockdown thing (and a wintery weekend), but it gives me a break from the other stuff...(I know I'm just avoiding the bookkeeping!)

Other stuff...

On Monday, our local restaurant opened again - with the new rules being in force from the 1st of June. We still weren't ready to go indoors and it was such a lovely day that we were happy to sit outside.

A friend stole the photo - of me showing Janny photos from 4 years ago when we shifted Ben into one of his Amsterdam residences - having just done the latest one the day before.

...and we couldn't resist the "Grand Dessert"...

On Tuesday, I did 5 hours painting until Janny rescued me to go to Harlingen to pick up her Mum and sister, Greethilda, who had spent a night on Vlieland - one of the Frisian Islands.

The current rule for public transport, including the ferries, is to wear a mask.

Meanwhile, work on the apartment continues.

I did my first ever "floor levelling" after watching a few Youtube videos - and my volunteer helper was back in time to help with the laminaat flooring! We start again fully with the adults on Monday - still observing the hand washing and 1.5 metres distance.

New window sill

Floor levelling

Insulation

more insulation

"click" laminaat

White Oak

Ah yes, the new internet...

A young woman came to do the installation. She had it plugged in behind the TV downstairs and I said "what about wifi from there?"... I told her the existing one is upstairs so that we get better coverage - no worries, she said - we were talking English by now as she had a dual language upbringing.

So we moved it all upstairs and she made a new cable - which I had to bring into a crawl space - finger tips and toes - I couldn't ask her to do that!

It all went surprisingly seamlessly - wifi boosters simply rebooted and they worked. I did have to buy a couple of new router switches as they were pretty old.

I'm not sure what I expected, but the new system is literally 600 times faster than the old one!

Where are the old firies?

Someone at the Retired Firefighters Association has asked the question "where are they now?".

So I offered my story, not at all sure what is going to come of it.

G'day Russell,

I'm not much for Social Media these days, although I do write a weekly Blog for my kids and grandkids - a few old firies are on my mailing list, but I do it mainly as a way of compensating for the fact that I don't have normal contact with my family - as I probably would have had if I had remained in Melbourne.

I struggled for a few years with the disappointment of having to leave the MFB, but it is fair to say that things have turned out far better than I could have ever imagined. Luckily, I was young enough to make a new beginning and a new life.

Son Paul is still with the MFB, Glen has his own business and Cheryl has just had another promotion with her work. Between them, I also have 8 wonderful Grandchildren.

Probably the only drawback has been being away from them, but they are all prospering and in good health, so all-in-all, I count my blessings going into my senior years.

My wife Janny and I were married over here but lived in Melbourne for a while until events overtook us - we said we'd try the Netherlands for 5 years and see what happens! Here we are 27 years later!

We bought an old farm in which Janny was born and was then owned by her brother. We started a Groups Accommodation for 120 people - the permits and approvals and building works were all new to me, but Janny ploughed her way through with the Dutch and I put myself to work learning new skills such as pouring concrete and plastering ceilings and countless other things.

The farm is located halfway between two villages, Wijnjewoude and Bakkeveen, about 13 kms from a fairly large town, Drachten - in the Province of Friesland.

A couple of years after we bought the farm, the Netherlands began accepting large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers, with nightly news broadcasts about housing them in less than ideal conditions. I said to Janny that we could house some in our accomodation - she made a couple of phone calls and it all fell into place - we had a Government contract to house 52 refugees as an "emergency accommodation".

These were wonderful and exciting years for us and ideal for me because almost all of the refugees had English as a second, third or fourth language! I became known as Mr. Ken as we helped them through their own ordeal of having to adapt to a new land.

This stopped after a few years, so we reverted to the Groups Accommodation. As luck would have it, one of the groups was a "Care Farm" that provided assistance and accommodation for kids with special needs. We weren't terribly impressed with some of the practices that we saw...Again, I said to Janny that "we could do better than this" - and so we did!.

We registered with the local goverment as a Zorgboerderij (a Care Farm) and have now been doing that for 12 years. We have a sheltered workshop arrangement for adults during the week and provide care and accommodation for kids on the weekends.

It is all fairly demanding but so very, very satisfying. We deliberately remain small scale, employing one of Janny's sisters and a niece full-time and a couple of part-timers as required.

Janny is very much "of the village" and is always on some committee or other to improve facilties and the well-being of the residents. She is quite a well-known character whilst I prefer to remain low-key and just get on with my own affairs.

I do have one other passion besides the business and that is my boat! Recreational boating is very popular over here, and commercial shipping is very active on the major waterways. We prefer to find isolated places for a weekend away, although sometimes we like to tie up in the middle of a village or town and enjoy a meal out.

Our son Ben has just turned 24 and never ceases to amaze us - He has a Bachelor of Journalism Degree but he has travelled the world both on holidays and working as a model - China, Singapore, Australia, Italy, to mention only a few of the 41 countries in total. He came home from South Africa just in time before the Carona Virus restrictions came into force.

We have just resumed operations in a limited capacity.

I still have a few valued contacts from the MFB; the closest is Frank Ward, who spends about 6 months of the year living in France (with his own special story to tell!). Ivan Knight has been over a few times; we welcomed Don Brennan and Don Jenkins and also a few visitors from the Northern Territory. Barry Langley came over quite often - we always seem to be able to make room somewhere.

We meet up with Frank each year - up here for a boat trip and down in France for some sightseeing and relaxation. We were going to take the boat to Paris this year, but the Carona Virus soon put an end to that plan! The next idea is to meet up in Rotterdam for the World Police and Fire Games - maybe using the boat as our accommodation. If the Games go ahead, of course.

I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind, but use it if you think it is appropriate.

And a follow up letter as requested, with more information and photos. Not many photos from back then - different times, indeed!

G'day Russell,

nice to read your kind words about Paul. Needless to say, I am very proud of him. I made a surprise visit for his Officers' Graduation Day Ceremony - we were both in tears!

Now you've got me thinking - I'll do my best but it won't be with many dates.

I started in 1968 as an innocent 18 year old.

After a month at No. 1, they transferred me to Nunawading where I spent about 5 years under the guidance of Frank O'Brien, Eric Daffy, John Medwin, Ian Johns and a few others. The Senior Firefighter was Dick Lightfoot, a practical man who operated by the book - no slacking there!

I guess I had always thought about making a career of the job - a man I called "uncle" - Bill Leonard was a senior officer in the brigade at the time - the joining age was then 21 but Uncle Bill obviously had some influence!

So I started studying at an early age - I remember that Eric was particularly helpful with the practical stuff - and I was accepted to undertake the Officer Training Course. At that time there was some resentment about "these young blokes" - so I had to wait a while before actually being promoted.

Even so, I remember that for each of my promotions, I was the youngest there had been up to and including the rank of Assistant Chief. No doubt there have been younger since, but back then it was probably a sign of some transition that was taking place.

My first month as an Officer was at Templestowe.

Then in to No.1 and hardly anywhere else that I can recall.

I went to the Training College for a while as a Station Officer (and back again later as District Officer, Superintendent and Chief Superintendent).

I was in the lift with Laurie Lavelle one day and I asked about Fire Protection - it took about a week before I was stationed there! Len Sixsmith, Ted Harrison, Ray Tighe, Rex Shields, Noel Egan are just some of the names that I can remember. I wish I could remember more because they were such good times in my Fire Service Career.

In 1989, I was asked to go to the Northern Territory Fire Service as Director/Chief Fire Officer. I agreed and spent 2 more wonderful years in the Fire Service, albeit in Darwin.

When I came back to Melbourne, things had somehow changed and I found myself "on the outer" with the hierarchy - to this day I don't know the reason why.

And so I finished up as an Assistant Chief Fire Officer in February 1992 - 24 years service, but I like to say "nearly 25".

And I wouldn't change a minute of it! Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of the wonderful background "the job" gave me for what I am doing now.