Retrospect – Pagina 4 – Gay Classic Car Club

Flemish Christmas cribs with a pink twist

PUTTE-KAPELLEN – Between Christmas and New year’s Eve friends of GCCC meet bi-annually for a run along a number of Christmas cribs in Flanders (Belgium). Always a great success! A welcome break from seasonal family and relative vistis. After all, with GCCC, Christmas gets a pink twist.

The 6th edition of the Christmas crib ride will take place on Tuersday December 28th, 2010 with 54 participants. Don’t forget to take your passport, a torch and your parking disk. You can sign up until December 21.

Want to take part?
Sorry, this was possible until December 21th.

What is so special about the Christmas cribs in the Kempen region?
The Kempen region are famous for its fairytale illuminated Christmas cribs, many of which contain live animals.

Why is the ride not on a Sunday, but on a Tuesday?
Christmas is in the weekend and on the Sunday before not all Christmas cribs have been erected yet. But many members and their friends will be off work in the week following Christmas. So that offers ample opportunity to share the Christmas atmosphere. We would in particular like to invite our Flemish friends to take part. We will be in Belgium after all. Being a member of GCCC isn’t really necessary, you can take part as a guest.

What will the ride look like?
You will make a lovely, seasonal ride beginning and ending at (Flemish) Putte. Putte is a border village, with the border running right through the centre. Half of it is in the Netherlands (part of Woensdrecht), the Belgian half is again divided between Kapellen en Stabroek. On account of possible wintery weather we will stick to main roads. This is a good thing when driving in your oldtimer. We will visit christmas cribs on the way.

Where do we start?
We will gather on December 28 december at 2 p.m., while enjoying a bowl of pea soup at café-restaurant Hollands Hof, Ertbrandstraat 294, 2950 Putte-Kapellen, telephone: + 32(3) 665 17 33, in the Belgian part of Putte.

Where do we finish?
The ridee ends around 6 p.m. at the same restaurant. From 6.30 dinner is served( € 12,00 p.p.) consisting of:

◦Leek soup
◦Flemish beef stew with Chips
◦Dessert

How to get there?
Putte is some 10 kilometers away from exit 30 of the A58 motorway (South of Bergen op Zoom). Follow the N289 through Hoogerheide and you will soon see (Dutch) Putte. Immediately across the border you will find Hollands Hof on your left. Parking (with parking disk during the day) is possible in the former customs area opposite.

What are the costs?
The cotst for this event are € 1,50 for GCCC-members and € 5,00 for non-members and guests, which includes a bowl of pea soup. If you stay on for dinner you pay € 12,00 extra.

Can I take the dog?
Yes, you can, but on a leash

Important! GCCC cannot be held responsible for whatever damage.

Gliding and Driving over and through Zuid-Beveland

In the Summer GCCC Drive of Sunday August 22, 2010 the province of Zealand played a central role, with a tremendous chance of taking part in a flight with a classic two seater glider!

What made this trip so special?
Zealand has a beautiful countryside with dykes and views, the trendy town of Goes, but also untouched villages like Kloethinge, Wilhelminadorp, Nisse en Overzande and ’s-Heer Abtskerke. A large part of the route was along typical Zealand dykes, right across the countryside.

What special sights could be seen?
Windmills and churches played an important role around the village of Borssele in the 15th century, a thing that can still be noticed today. The beautiful Geerteskerk in Kloethinge is one of those with a lot of history. In the village of Nisse we drive past the Reformed Church, and because it will be on a Sunday we noticed how quiet this place was, all because of people’s strict faith.

Where and when did the flying and the driving start?
We gathered early on Sunday morning at 10 o’clock at vliegveld ‘Zeeland Airport’ near the village of Lewedorp in Zuid-Beveland, halfway between Goes and Middelburg. From this early hour the flying started.

In the afternoon (around 13.00 h.) the drive with our beautiful old and new timer cars started. You could choose to take part in both the flying and the drive, but you could also choose to take part in only the flying or only the drive.

: Zeeland Airport with oldtimers

Why gliding?
GCCC member Wilco is an experienced glider pilot and has his contacts in Zealand too. Because of him we could fly with classic two seater gliders above the Veerse Meer. You will know Wilco because of his nice NSU and Dafs.

What are the conditions?
Taking part is at your own risk, GCCC can not be held responsible in any way!

Picnic drive with many delicacies

LEIDSCHENDAM – In summer it has almost become a tradition that we have a picnic together at the beautiful estate of our GCCC-members Piet and Ernst, where we can enjoy finger licking delicacies in the form of food, but also beautiful classic cars!

Where did the picnic drive start?
Participants were expected to arrive at Restaurant Tijsterman, Dorpsstraat 114 in Nieuwkoop on July, 18th, 2010.

What did the drive look like?
A short drive, but one with many surprising roads and views. The drive ended at Piet and Ernst’s estate.

What could be taken?
Like in the previous years you could take your own table, chairs and home-produced food with you. All this could be used for the joint picnic in the meadow.

What did the GCCC do in 2004?

Photo: Eurotour 2004 in Antwerp

January 11: Visit to InterClassics Maastricht and New Year’s Reception (organised together with Queerlenker, Germany).
February 29: Visit to SMART Center, Capelle a/d IJssel with Annual General Meeting.
March 28: High Tea Ride in a Hyacinth Bucket atmosphere near Zwolle.
April 25: Spring ride: Star Ride ‘Goose Matras’.
May 30-31 and June 1: EuroTour 2004, Antwerp.
July 4: Organ and Beemsterride near Alkmaar/Hoorn.
August 1: Haystack-meeting, the first, at a beautiful farm.
Sept. 26: Wild Horses and Tight Riders with information about horseriding and a ride next to the German border (Ottersum-Goch).
Oct.24: Very successful second Haystack meeting with making of an Autumn bouquet of flowers in the green area near The Hague, followed by a five-course dinner.
Nov. 28: Puzzle Tour in the west of the Province of Brabant with dinner.
Dec. 27: Christmas Crib Ride in the Kempen area on the Dutch-Belgian border. Followed by a Flemish meal.

What did the GCCC do in 2005?

Photo: Hay Stick Picknick on July 17, 2005

February 13: AGM at Jaguar Main Dirstribution Building
March 20: Rozendaal and a run though the Veluwe area
March 26 to 28: Elegance Cruise at Sedan, France (organised by Ledorga)
April 7 to 10: GCCC present at Techno Classica
April 22 to 25: Present at Rainbow Experience Show, Amsterdam
April 24: Spring Ride, Tholen and the West of the province of Noord-Brabant
May 16: DAF Museum and ride around Eindhoven
May 20 to 22: Eurotour 2005, Southamton an Isle of Wight (organised by GCCG)
June 25: Pink Saturday Ride, Nijmegen
July 17: Hay Stack Picknick, with a ride trough the green heart of Holland
August 14: Goats’ Rally, around Wilrijk (Belgium)
September 18: Floralia, at Nieuwe Niedorp. Dahlia show
October 16: Light Tour Through Rotterdam
November 20: Cruise around Geijsteren and Kevelaer
December 18: Autoworld, Brussels, with a tour through Art Nouveau quarters

What did the GCCC do in 2007?

Photo: Very beautiful ride on April 29th, 2007

December 16: GCCC1992-2007 celebration cruise on former Zuyderzee, starting at Almere. If you liked you could come the night before and stay at a friendly hotel/camping (organisation GCCC)
November 18: Visit to Hortus Botanicus at Leyden University with run in the area around Leyden (organisation: GCCC)
October 21: Glorious Flanders, drive around Heist-op-den-Berg with visit to model train museum (organisation: GCCC)
September 16: Glimmering Glasses & Clear Crystal Drive near Leerdam (organisation: GCCC)
August 19: near Hardenberg (organisation: GCCC)
July 22 : near Leidschendam / Den Haag (organisation: GCCC)
June 24: Jubilee Drive GCCC 15 years with reception at Henk Krol’s – editor of GayKrant – in Best (organisation: GayKrant and GCCC)
May 25 until 28: Eurotour 2007: Dutch Lowlands and High Lights with starting place Emmeloord (organisation: GCCC)
May 19: Tour le coeur vert in Zoetermeer (organisation: Dafpoetsers and GCCC)
April 29: H20 drive near Cruquius pumping-engine followed by “Koninginnenacht” Amsterdam (The Dutch Queen’s birthday celebrations, organisation: GCCC)
April 6 until 9: Elegance Cruise edition 5 in Troyes (organisation: Ledorga)
March 18: Breathtaking Eastern-Brabant drive across the Dutch Peel-area (organisation: GCCC)
March 9 until 18: Rainbow Tour Down Under in Melbourne Australia (organisation: MotaFrenz)
February 11: Annual General Meeting at Lexus branch Breukelen (organisation: GCCC)

What did the GCCC do in 2008?

December 28: Fifth Christmas Crib Drive in the surroundings of Antwerp
November 15 and 16:South of Limburg Wine Week-end from Maastricht
October 26: Kromme IJssel drive, surroundings of IJsselstein
September 21: Car wash event with demonstration at Etten-Leur
August 24: Holterberg drive starting at Holten
July 6: Rottemeren drive with picnic (near Rotterdam)
June 1: Drive around Aduard in the province of Groningen
May 16-18: Eurotour ‘Cotswold Cruising’ close to Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon (organisation: GCCG)
April 27: South-Veluwe drive near Oosterbeek (organisation: GCCC)
March 30: Generously enjoying The Achterhoek with visit to Citroville Borculo.
March 21-24: 7th Happy Way near Saint Witz, 15 miles north from Paris (organisation: Ledorga)
Febr. 16: Annual General Meeting at the Citroën building in Amsterdam.

What did the GCCC do in 2009?

December 13: Christmas Ride and Slides Afternoon on Gay King Louis II of Bavaria, location Nijmegen
October 17-18: ‘In the trail of the cyclists’, weekend around Oudenaarde in Belgium
September 20: Tour around lavender fields in the North-West of the province Overijssel
August 23: DelfGayl Splash Tour in the surroundings of Delfzijl (with overnight stay on August 22)
July 19: Haystack Puzzle Meeting from Leidschendam Video (with commentary in Dutch only, sorry!)
Watch part 1 of the video
Watch part 2 of the video

June 20: Gay Pride The Hague with escorted drive
May 29-June 1: Eurotour 2009, the Garden of Denmark on the island of Fynen (organisation: GOVC)
May 3: Bloom drive from Veenendaal
March 8: Annual General Meeting at Maranello Italian Car Showroom at Hilversum

Christmas and Castle Run in Fairytale Atmosphere

It has become a tradition for GCCC to organise a sociable event in the Christmas period. At this year’s event on Dec. 13th, 2009 we were able tolook back at the past year together with other GCCC friends, enjoy the splendour and beauty of the Bavarian fairy-tale king Ludwig II and drive past a few fairy-like castles in the south east of the province of Gelderland (Hernen, Wijchen, Bergharen and Batenburg).

The start for the 66 participants was at Hotel Restaurant Umberto, Graafseweg 699, 6603 CE in Wijchen (close to Nijmegen and Alverna) at 12.00 h with coffee/tea with delicious “Wijchen Emiliastoet” pastry. It was there that we also fisheshed this event.

Slides show and talk

Preceding the drive, our club member Jan van der Schee talked about the beautiful theatrical life of Ludwig II, de Bavarian fairy-tale king. In a breathtaking slides performance accompanied by the beautiful sounds of Richard Wagner, Jan took us on a journey to the neogothic period and old myths.

How gay was the fairy-tale king?

Ludwig was engaged to his cousin Sophia of Bavaria, the sister of empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as ‘Sisi’. After having postponed the wedding a couple of times, he finally cancelled the wedding in October 1867. Ludwig was never to marry, let alone give an heir to the dynasty. Worldwide, historians suspect that he was gay, based on the monarch’s letters and the courtiers’ memoirs. This discussion will always remain controversial, because the Bavarians don’t want to talk about his homosexuality too much.

Drive with stunning views

Then it was time for the drive. It was a beautiful day, rather cold but with the sun shining the drive was full of breath-taking views across the polders and at the country estates. All this variety made one feel sorry when we reached the end.

That end was at the car park of Umberto and then we heard the second half of the slides show and talk. By now it was time for a drink and a chat with friends, followed by a nice three course dinner, if one had booked that beforehand. The menu could be chosen on the spot, with a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian.

Our thanks to Aldrin, Erik, Rob en Jan!