Reply With QuoteI think this is brilliant. It happened when I was in my final year of my engineering degree and went for a ‘study’ trip in Holland (the Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven).
I think it was in Jan or Feb 85.
As per title: the forecast is clear! It's going to be cold over here. For many, the moment to dig out their speed skates ('noren' in Dutch) and the sharpening tools. It has been a while (10 yrs or so?) since there was a forecast like this.
What will happen is that nearly everybody able to skate will keep a close eye at the listings: where and when one is able to participate in a Tour; most for the fun. People will go over to their boss or employer to announce that they're planning a day off for skating. Can't say that hospitals will close wards, but I do know a few dentists who will cancel all their appointments for a day during the icy period. Skating fever.
I will keep you posted.
I think this is brilliant. It happened when I was in my final year of my engineering degree and went for a ‘study’ trip in Holland (the Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven).
I think it was in Jan or Feb 85.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Feb 21, 1985. More or less the final day of that cold period. A day later, it started to rain 'hot water'. The Race was won by Evert van Benthem. That turned his life around. A household name from that moment on. We have a mutual friend, so I'd met him before and after his victory on a birthday party etc. A really down-to-earth guy. Van Benthem won the 1986 edition (yes a year later) as well. Being a farmer in a rural part of the north, he was not too happy with all the traffic: people passing, talking with him (remember: no selfies back then). In the end, he sold the farm and emigrated to Alberta, Canada and bought himself another farm.
Between 1963 and 1985, there was no Tour; the ice was too thin. The 1963 Tour is called 'The White Hell' over here: 10K people started, about 100(!) arrived at the finish. The winner was Reinier Paping. He was a shopkeeper in a town in the North (I lived there during the 80s and 90s). He ran a sports good store. The shop is still there, it run by his grandchildren nowadays. He's 87 y/o now, fit as a butcher's dog. Now, with the skating period arriving, he will be in the store, helping his grandchildren selling speed skates!
The last one held was in 1997. It started freezing the days before Christmas 96 and within 2 weeks, there was an Elfstedentocht (Jan 4). It was very, very cold back then and there was hardly any snow. More or less the conditions heading our way next week. Snow stops the growth of ice. In 85 and in 97, there wasn't much snow as well. The ice was very thick back then. It took almost 2 months before all ice was gone. I remember that my first sailing weekend of 97 at the of March had to be postponed because of there was still ice in the canals!
Look a the 'motard' on the ice. Dutch TV covered the whole race like it was... The Tour de France! The crew on the motorcycle are actually the French and Belgian crew members who report the Belgian Spring Classics!
Menno
Last edited by thieuster; 22nd February 2018 at 07:20.
I'm frantically searching for my "noren" in my ex wife's shed where I must have left them.
I need to sharpen them as well, they haven't been used for a good few years now.
With my age every opportunity to get on the ice might be the last one..........;)
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Thank you for that Menno. I remember that is was before the internet and we did not really know where to go in the evening. A few of us met Dutch students in a bar and before we knew it we were invited to join them in a beach party in Zandvoort. Great memories.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Subscribed.
32 deg. C in Thailand today, just saying.........
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
How thick does the ice need to be before it's safe to skate on it? Also how is it measured and who does this? TIA
F.T.F.A.
Depends on where you are skating Bob, 8cm for deep water like big lakes and canals, but with the winter not being very cold anymore the Dutch have made an artform out of creating places to skate, putting 2cm of water on a field or inline skating trail and one good night of frost will do the trick. There are all sorts of "ijsmeesters"and volunteers who measure the ice every day with a measuring stick.Originally Posted by magirus
Really everybody is talking about it now, the fever is hot
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Over to the east (where I live) and in the north (where I used to live) specially designated stretches of land are properly maintained during the whole year, sometimes for years without ice. You can easily recognise these pieces of land: a semi-sized shed on the corner of the land and wooden lamp posts in a long row in the middle of the land, stretching length-wise from one side to the other. As soon as the winter season starts, the land is inundated.Depends on where you are skating Bob, 8cm for deep water like big lakes and canals, but with the winter not being very cold anymore the Dutch have made an artform out of creating places to skate, putting 2cm of water on a field or inline skating trail and one good night of frost will do the trick. There are all sorts of "ijsmeesters"and volunteers who measure the ice every day with a measuring stick.
Really everybody is talking about it now, the fever is hot
Menno
It looks as if the UK will get its share as well! (Certain Forum members on here can now start a short-track skating team to bring their wisdom regarding *top-level sport, *aiming for a good result under pressure and *character changing psychology-ideas into practice. This is your chance: change words into action)
Last edited by thieuster; 22nd February 2018 at 18:58.
So my carefully planned relocation visit to Amsterdam next weekend could be ‘interesting’ then?
No, don't worry. No snow, no sleet. Only freezing cold. Proper weather for a new 'I love Amsterdam' beanie and mittens with tulip print.
Especially in Amsterdam, business is as usual. And what's more: it's half term next week: schools are closed. Lots of people are off to the Alps. I guess that it's relatively quiet on the roads!
M
Thanks, we need to get out to Haarlem and Almere as these are good candidates for renting for the first year (H) and buying (A).
Problem is there will be 800+ other staff going too
Rob
Thanks, we need to get out to Haarlem and Almere as these are good candidates for renting for the first year (H) and buying (A).
Problem is there will be 800+ other staff going too
Rob
PM on its way
Menno
Thanks, we have an official help desk provided by the City of Amsterdam, lovely people, but not allowed to make specific recommendations.
Rob
Depends on where you are skating Bob, 8cm for deep water like big lakes and canals, but with the winter not being very cold anymore the Dutch have made an artform out of creating places to skate, putting 2cm of water on a field or inline skating trail and one good night of frost will do the trick. There are all sorts of "ijsmeesters"and volunteers who measure the ice every day with a measuring stick.
Really everybody is talking about it now, the fever is hotThanks gents.
Taken a few minutes ago in the Northernmost province: Friesland. I am presenting a presentation for the Dutch RYA. The lunch break is used for... skating!
Normally this little harbour is filled with daysailers and little yachts. Most are on shore, on blocks.
Just back yesterday from 2 days in Amsterdam, it is really really cold there !
Yesterday, my car's outside thermometer hit -7C around noon; today it reads +13C! A 20C difference in exactly 24hrs. Normally, the weather change comes with sleet and snow. Not this time: the wind has veered from E to SSE. That alone brings warmer weather to the north. Hence the title of this post: epilogue.
The frozen lakes are no longer safe. There's now water on the ice, making it impossible to spot holes in the ice ('wak' in Dutch) or cracks in the ice.
Last edited by thieuster; 4th March 2018 at 15:23.
26c here dusty hate it
Whereabouts is this ? I have quite a bit of family in Harlingen (my mother is 1/2 English 1/2 Nederlands) haven't managed to get up there yet.
Taken a few minutes ago in the Northernmost province: Friesland. I am presenting a presentation for the Dutch RYA. The lunch break is used for... skating!
Normally this little harbour is filled with daysailers and little yachts. Most are on shore, on blocks.
It's here: http://www.detijnjehoeve.nl On the site's homepage, the small harbour is clearly visible.
[IMG][/IMG]
For those not able to speak Dutch... Don't try to pronounce the villages' names! It's in Frisian and differently pronounced than written. Sort of reading Welsh if you're English, I suppose.
Last edited by thieuster; 4th March 2018 at 18:02.
Sadly I don't speak nederlands even though I am technically 1/4 Dutch. I will have to get the car on the Hull to Rotterdam Ferry and drive upto Haarlingen and see the family, the place looks glorious.It's here: http://www.detijnjehoeve.nl On the site's homepage, the small harbour is clearly visible.
[IMG]
For those not able to speak Dutch... Don't try to pronounce the villages' names! It's in Frisian and differently pronounced than written. Sort of reading Welsh if you're English, I suppose.
Rob
I only know the harbour of Harlingen, tbh when we're sailing the Waddenzee. Harlingen is the perfect spot to plan and start the Waddenzee-route because you have to deal with strong current and shallow waters on the Waddenzee.
When going to Harlingen, or better: Friesland in general, there are three spots you really need to visit:
- The Planetarium in Franeker: http://www.planetarium-friesland.nl/en/
- Christiaan van der Klaauw's atelier: http://www.klaauw.com/nl/history
- Jopie Huisman's museum: https://www.jopiehuismanmuseum.nl
I will open a separate thread about this.
If he's an interest in WWII history, there is also the Fries Verzetsmuseum (link).
My aunt rents a house that overlooks Harlingen harbour, she had to wait many years to get the house as the waiting list was very long. My Dutch grandfather was a sea captain and he took part in the Russian convoys during World War 2. He owned his own ship and after the war he used to sail all over Europe, South America and Africa delivering cargo. He was a bit of a rogue though, he had a Nederlands Family in Harlingen and also had a family in Hull. Unfortunately he was still married to his wife in Harlingen so he could never marry the mother of his 4 children in Hull. He missed the thrill of the 2nd World War action, so turned to contraband, he was brought many a batch of tobacco into Hull during the 50's and 60's. Eventually the arrival of containers finished him off and as his ship wasn't big enough to carry them and eventually he went bankrupt and then he retired. Sadly I never got to meet him, I was born in 67, but I was put up for adoption as my mum was only 17yrs old. I eventually met my mum when I was 30 years old and then I found out about the stories of my grandad Christiaan. He was an amazing character.
That really interests me, I need to visit in the summer.
In that case, www.tracesofwar.com may be of interest.
There's a Commonwealth War Grave in Harlingen (link) and many more in Freisland (link).
Just a thank you to the OP for introducing me to www.wxcharts.eu.
Rather than the 850 hPa (~1,500 m) temperature chart from ECMWF, I tend to look at the 2 m temperature chart from the ICON-EU model. There are also similar charts using other models for comparison.
Posting Permissions
