Testing, testing.....1

Once in a while my job takes me to various interesting places. I get to take my bro to Silverstone for a full Formula 1 testing session and hospitality with the Jaguar race team, I visit Aston Martin, Mclaren, Bentley, the Mini factory, trips to France, Germany, Malaysia and with luck, Japan and U.S.A. this year if I can swing it.
Once in a while I get to go to Belgium for test and development of paint systems. (Yeeaaahh).

It's been a while since my last visit so it was nice to catch up with the guy's over there.
"There" being Mechelen, a very nice market town half way between Brussels and Antwerp.

So, the sunrise finds us being all "arty farty" with Lizzie's bridge, the majestic Queen Elizabeth II bridge, taken through the windscreen of the car while trying not to crash.

We negotiate the M25 without too much trouble and meet up with Taz at Ashford in Kent.
Taz works for our paint supplier. He is the kindest, most patient person I know.
Born in Pakistan, raised in Kenya and a Muslim, living in England has been interesting for him over the last few years but he takes everything in his stride and has a wonderful sense of humour. He also makes the best spice mix in the world. (Am I right Dive)?
After a hearty English breakfast and a mug of tea, we toddle off to the jewel of the south east. Eurotunnel, a wonderful picturesque setting where we embark on our adventure.

Inspiring don't you think!

At least it's fast. The crossing takes 35 minutes and you drive off the train and onto the main motorway along the French coast which takes us all the way to Brussels. Easy peasy.
The Brussels ring (oh er misses) is a doddle and it is then 30 minutes up the road towards Antwerp and we turn off to Mechelen.

One thing I always notice when driving in Europe, besides them all driving on the wrong side of the bloody road, is that everyone tends to use the lanes on motorways correctly. If they overtake, they then pull back in rather than piss around in the fast lane and clog it up because their ego tells them they are excellent drivers and MUST be in front of you. This is standard practice for most of the wankers who use our roads. (sorry, that's a potential rant for another day).

This is the view from the back of our workshops and lab.
Now I'm no conspiracy theorist but for all those who have seen the movie Men in Black, this looks suspiciously like another not too well hidden spaceship disguised as a water tower. Didn't see any big bugs hanging around though.


Anyway, more about sunny Mechelen.

Anne Boleyn lived there for a bit and the current Mayors name is Bart (eat my shorts) Somers.

This is one end of the wonderfully named Grote Markt' or Town square and all of that is the Stadhuis (Town Hall).
It's actually 3 distinct buildings, one of which you cannot see on this photo for reasons I will explain in a bit.

The oldest part is the Gothic Lakenhalle or cloth hall built from 1320 - 1326 and modelled on the one in Bruges. This was never completed due to the decline in the cloth trade. A huge fire swept through Mechelen in 1342 but this part of the town was not badly damaged and the building has been restored and altered over the years.
In the 16th century plans were drawn up to replace the hall with a new Palace for the Grand Council. This work stopped around 1547 and the Council hung around letting out parts of the building to shop keepers, then buggered off in 1614.
This east wing was eventually finished according to the original plans in the 20th century.
The third part of the building (not in the pic cos it's round the back) is a contentious L-shaped building added in 1975 which contrasts somewhat with it's historic neighbours.


At the western end of the square in front of the Town Hall is this statue. At first I assumed it was to commemorate the joys falling down drunk or lighting farts but the truth is out there.
It is called Op-Signoorke.



Op-Signoorke is the name given to a large carved wooden doll dating back to 1647, which is carried in parades and tossed into the air as it makes it's way through the town.

In July 1775 it was bring carried at the back of a procession and, as it entered St-Katelijnestreet, the doll fell into the crowd of on-lookers. Jacobus de Leeuw, from nearby Antwerp, was in the crowd and as Op-Signoorke fell towards him he raised his arms to protect himself and was subsequently accused of trying to steal the doll.

The enraged townsfolk grabbed the poor bloke, beat him up a bit and took him before the magistrate who jailed him. Jacobus managed to escape soon afterwards and sent a letter of protest to the magistrate. (a letter indeed.....he must have been so pissed with them).

From that time on, the people of Mechelen took precautions to prevent any revenge from Antwerp and Op-Signoorke was kept locked in a large trunk.

On December 7th 1949 Mechelen was shocked to discover that the doll had gone missing. Students from Antwerp, made out to be American tourists, managed to gain access to the Municipal Museum where the original doll is kept and kidnapped it. Op-Signoorke was eventually returned to Mechelen in January 1950. (Silly buggers).

Enough for now. In the next Phlegmy extract we look the other way across the Grote Markt' towards the stunning St.Rumbold's Cathedral and you can try to explain the mystery of the small shiny cow.