My Street

Just found this picture and I am very happy with it. This is a past impression of part of my street in the Netherlands where I lived for about 27 years. It is a main street in than a small town called Wijchen. Most people in the street, like my parents were shopkeepers. While they were selling clothes me and my brothers spent time on the Attic were my brother built huge train tracks, a gramophone turntable and were he was sending the music in the air from his secret radio station.

We also played on the street or lateron I hang out at the house opposite us. (The dark house at the far end). My friend and her brother had a room behind their house with couches, TV and music and the place was always filled with young people. I remember that the boys were often silly. They cut pieces of their hair and taped it on their legs to show how grown up they were. We also sang very loud to the music of eg. "paradise by the dashboard light" .

When I look at the picture I can see the house of the blacksmith and hear the klanging sound again and the clickety clack of the horses who came to him for new shoes. I also hear the banging of shop doors and clinging bike bells.

I remember waking up early on Thursday mornings when the market people were building their stalls. Lateron they loudly sold their market ware and there was a buzzing of people buying their veggies, cheese and fish.

On the picture is also the nice Christmas decoration lightening up the streets on dark winter nights and the cosy feeling of Christmas being near. On Christmas no presents for us. We got them on the 5th of December with St Nicholas. No, Christmas was a family celebration with lots of meals. The first one on Christmas night. After the night mess the table in the lounge was spectacularly set with candles and we ate buns with steak and other delightful stuff. But I am drifting of.

They keep on telling me how much everything is changed and that our old house has disappeared to make room for a new building. There are now many more shops, people and bikes. For me this street will always feel the same however and I will certainly visit it again because my mum lives around the corner.

Groetjes Marja