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 Memories of Merelbeke - een randgemeente van Gent

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Category Albums Files
Belgium 1970s
7 256
MERELBEKE


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We lived in Belgium in the 1970s. Dad, Eric Hayles was working for Volvo Europa at Oostakker near Ghent and we moved into a house in the Verlorenbroodstraat in Merelbeke. We hope you enjoy our evocative photos of life in Merelbeke, a suburb of Ghent.

56 files, last one added on Oct 27, 2014
Album viewed 1993 times

GHENT/GENT BELGIUM


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We lived near the beautiful city of Ghent (Gent) in Belgium in East Flanders (Oost Vlaanderen) from 1974 till 1978, although dad was there for about another six years after that. We hope you enjoy some of our photo archive from those happy times.

48 files, last one added on Oct 27, 2014
Album viewed 583 times

MERELBEKE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS


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Some of our wonderful neighbours and friends when we lived in Merelbeke. If you know any names that we haven't mentioned, please add them below the photo.

109 files, last one added on Oct 27, 2014
Album viewed 802 times

DANSCLUB TERPSICHORE MERELBEKE


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Mum and dad had dancing lessons at the Dansclub Terpsichore in Hundelgemsesteenweg in 1977-78. These are pictures from one of their social functions.

15 files, last one added on Mar 15, 2014
Album viewed 611 times

OUT AND ABOUT IN BELGIUM


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13 files, last one added on Mar 23, 2014
Album viewed 553 times

Our Welsh friends, the Davies Family


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We attended church at the Evangelisch Centruum, Burgstraat, Gent, where we got to know the wonderful Davies family from Wales (the clue was in the name!) Charles and Betty, Godfrey, Joseph and Noel. There were also two sisters who weren't in Belgium. Charles was an accomplished artists and signwriter. He once had a job painting the Coca Cola logo on lorries, so he must have been very good! He also painted a sign for our neighbours opposite which read "Bobinage van motoren".

11 files, last one added on Apr 26, 2014
Album viewed 490 times

Documentation


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Leaflets and other documentation from our time in Belgium

4 files, last one added on Dec 05, 2017
Album viewed 258 times

 

7 albums on 1 page(s)

Belgium 1990s
1 40
VISITS TO MERELBEKE IN 1990s


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In the 1990s, along came the internet. Jonathan put "Merelbeke" into a search engine to see what he would see, and stumbled across the website of Sint-Michielsschool. After writing a greeting in the guest book he received a reply from Guy van Heddegem, and a friendship developed which led to Jonathan visiting Merelbeke in 1998 and writing a song which was performed at the school's Eindejaarshow. He visited again the following year. Here are some pictures from those shows.... we hope to bring you some video clips in the future too. Photos mostly by Jonathan Hayles, captions by Guy van Heddegem.

40 files, last one added on Mar 16, 2014
Album viewed 488 times

 

1 albums on 1 page(s)

296 files in 8 albums and 2 categories with 5 comments viewed 213,131 times

Last additions
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GITO Merelbeke flyer van 1975 4/44206 viewsDec 05, 2017
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GITO Merelbeke flyer van 1975 3/44038 viewsDec 05, 2017
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1/4828 viewsDec 05, 2017
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GITO Merelbeke leaflet from 1975 2/4627 viewsGITO Merelbeke flyer van 1975Dec 05, 2017
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Cards at Number 31825 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Wilfried at his mother's in Moortsele823 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Wilfried's mother in Moortsele809 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Wilfried and Lydiane at Wilfried's mother's in Moortsele819 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Tram near the Gravensteen in Ghent, 19781420 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Wilfried adds the finishing touches to his villa787 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Lydiane makes sure Wilfried is doing things properly786 viewsOct 27, 2014
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Wilfried adds the finishing touches to his villa777 viewsOct 27, 2014

Random files
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GITO Merelbeke, 4e Elektriciteit 1977-781102 views4e elektriciteit, GITO, Merelbeke, schooljaar 1977-78. Van links naar rechts:
1e rij:M. Mortier (leeraar wiskunde), Rudy de Sutter, Bernard Ramue, Ronny Meersschaut (mijn makker v.d. Verlorenbroodstraat), Marnix de Bruyker, Jonathan Hayles, Pieter Rijkbosch, Pieter Jacob, Luc Eekhout.

2e rij: Christian Bekaert, Hans Verstichel, Christian Piens, Geert van Assche, Johan Piens, Luc van der Straeten, Wim de Schrijver.

3e rij: Ronny van Wesemael, Geert van Lancker, Dirk Trossaert, Patrick van Hecke, Yvan Courtijn, Ronny Henrickx.

Twee studenten waren afwezig: Pierre de Cooman en Jan (van?) Goedertier. Ik ben niet zeker of de bovenstaande namen allemaal juist geschreven zijn.

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Ghent by night by Eric Hayles946 viewsEarly 1980s
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A visit from our Welsh friends, Charles and Betty Davis or Davies459 views
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Andrew on the roof672 views
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Skating on ice on a small brook next to the Watersportsbaan in Ghent.647 viewsThe Hayles brothers, December 1975
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The Meerschauts and our relatives from England459 views
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View from the roof1021 viewsShowing the rear of the Meersschaut's house and one of the garages, or "boxen" that Marcel Meersschaut rented out.
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Carnival in Ghent 1974692 views
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Cousin David and Michael517 views
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Foundations of 31 Verlorenbroodstraat in 1974853 viewsFrom the roof of Number 29
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View from Park Hotel, Wilsonsplein, 1974689 views
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Michael and dad fix the VW exhaust.. it's only one year old!!903 viewsMerelbeke 1977