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 2214 times
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 765 times
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 1009 times
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 666 times
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 674 times
1 albums on 1 page(s)
296 files in 8 albums and 2 categories with 5 comments viewed 260,963 times
Last additions
GITO Merelbeke flyer van 1975 4/44716 viewsDec 05, 2017
GITO Merelbeke flyer van 1975 3/44482 viewsDec 05, 2017
1/41268 viewsDec 05, 2017
GITO Merelbeke leaflet from 1975 2/4894 viewsGITO Merelbeke flyer van 1975Dec 05, 2017
Cards at Number 311082 viewsOct 27, 2014
Wilfried at his mother's in Moortsele1266 viewsOct 27, 2014
Wilfried's mother in Moortsele1181 viewsOct 27, 2014
Wilfried and Lydiane at Wilfried's mother's in Moortsele1189 viewsOct 27, 2014
Tram near the Gravensteen in Ghent, 19781740 viewsOct 27, 2014
Wilfried adds the finishing touches to his villa1153 viewsOct 27, 2014
Lydiane makes sure Wilfried is doing things properly1155 viewsOct 27, 2014
Wilfried adds the finishing touches to his villa1138 viewsOct 27, 2014
Random files
Sint Niklaas comes to Merelbeke916 viewsOne of the Criel brothers from Verlorenbroodstraat
Maureen Hayles and Monique632 views
Sint-Michielsschool 1999619 views
Lydiane makes sure Wilfried is doing things properly1155 views
Ducks in our garden at Verlorenbroodstraat 29932 views
A great night at Number 31579 views
Patrick Meersschaut and friend645 views
1/41268 views
Belgian trams on Wilsonsplein848 viewsA view from the Park Hotel in 1974.
Sint-Michielsschool 1999639 views
Party time at Dansclub Terpsichore Merelbeke484 views
Last additions
Random files
