Newsflash....An historic meeting of Amateur Microscopists from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands was agreed recently...
Newsflash....An historic meeting of Amateur Microscopists from
the United Kingdom and the Netherlands was agreed recently...
Micscape Magazine long ago ceased being a solely United Kingdom venture. Within the first 6 months of its conception now over 2 years past, it grew support from amateurs from around the globe. In the last 6 months, this support has increased dramatically through the good-will and equally visionary work and contributions of the president and members of the leading Netherlands Microscopy Club: The Dutch society for amateur Microscopy.
Jan Parmentier, the club's president, extended an invitation to the UK amateurs to come out and meet the amateurs in the Netherlands in May of 1998 for an expedition and friendly gathering to exchange ideas, forge new friendships, and lay down the foundation of greater collaboration for the future. Jan had also become a member of the loosely knit Micscape team, so it was easy for old team member - Maurice Smith - to get together with Jan in Holland for both of them to work out an exciting programme and plan the event.
How did they get on together? Where did they go? Who else did they meet? What was the outcome?
Well, thanks to the
wonders of the web, here is an opportunity to join this important
moment and learn what took place...
Dateline: Friday 24th
October 1997.
Location: Gatwick Airport -
England.
Time: Early evening.
A beautiful sunset over
Gatwick airport, England, is seen as a good omen for the flight
ahead by our intrepid Maurice Smith as he prepares to fly to
Holland.
Dateline: Saturday 25th
October 1997
Location: The Netherlands.
Time: Early Morning.
A smiling Jan Parmentier,
president of the Dutch Society for Microscopy, introduces Maurice
Smith from Micscape to the friendly ways and historic sights of
the Netherlands...
... whilst Wim van Egmond,
pretends to be looking elsewhere as he waits for an unguarded
moment to catch Maurice's ugly mug on camera... in full 3D !
Dateline: Saturday 25th
October 1997
Location: The Delta - South
of Rotterdam - The Netherlands.
Time: Early Morning.
Jan Parmentier (right) discusses
details of our intended stay at the hotel next year. Wim and
Maurice are here too, but out of camera, enjoying free cups of
coffee kindly provided by the hotel manager.
A brand new beautiful hotel:
De Zeeuwse Stromen - where our UK and Netherlands amateurs will
stay together in May of 1998 at Renesse, Holland.
Dateline: Saturday 25th
October 1997
Location: The Delta Expo-
South of Rotterdam - The Netherlands.
Time: Early Afternoon.
Excursions
out to the local area like the Delta Expo have been put on the
programme. The Delta Expo shows some of the remarkable water
management systems in the Delta region.
Dateline:
Saturday 25th October 1997
Location: Jan's favourite
spot- The Netherlands.
Time: Mid-afternoon.
Jan and Maurice ask Wim to
record their receeding hairlines so that further analysis can be
compared next May (98). Wim, head full of hair, quickly obliges!
Dateline: Sunday 26th
October 1997
Location: Delft -The
Netherlands.
Time: Morning
Wim gently discloses to Jan that Maurice does in fact have just a tad more hair. He reassures him it is not enough to prevent any barriers to their joint vision and plans.
Dateline: Sunday 26th
October 1997
Location: Delft -The
Netherlands.
Time: Late Morning
A few hours spent together walking and
talking in Delft, an historic city and birthplace of Antoni van
Leeuwenhoek. Jan and Maurice decide to include a visit to Delft
on the programme for 1998.
Sadly the weekend went so quickly, as time always does when you are in the company of good friends. But now everything is set: invitations are going out to selected UK and Dutch amateur Microscopists to invite them to Rendezvous at Renesse for an exciting get together in may of 1998.
It is hoped that this will pave the way for more amateurs from different countries around the world to meet and join together to celebrate their remarkable hobby; to share their ideas and friendship; and most of all - to help establish Amateur Microscopy as one of the most important and worthwhile pursuits for the next century!
by Maurice Smith, 1997.
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