English
In the Summer GCCC Drive of Sunday August 22 the province of Zealand plays a central role, with a tremendous possibility of taking part in a flight with a classic two seater glider! What makes this trip so special? What special sights can be seen? What should you take with you? Where and when will the flying and the driving start? We gather early on Sunday morning at 10 o’clock at vliegveld ‘Zeeland Airport’ near the village of Lewedorp in Zuid-Beveland, halfway between Goes and Middelburg. From this early hour the flying will start. In the afternoon (around 13.00 h.) the drive with our beautiful old and new timer cars will start. You can choose to take part in both the flying and the drive, but you can also choose to take part in only the flying or only the drive. What if you decide only to drive around? Then you should be at Zeeland Airport at 12 h. at the latest. Coffee or tea with home baked flan will be served at arrival at the restaurant in the middle of the airport. The restaurant has a large terrace with a good view of the airplanes. This is where we will end up after the drive too. Zeeland Airport with oldtimers How do I get to the starting point? Is there dinner afterwards? Why gliding? How do I apply for the drive and the flying? What are the costs of flying? What will taking part cost? Is there a posibility to stay overnight from August 21 to 22? Are dogs allowed? What are the conditions? Not only are there finger licking delicacies in the form of food, but also beautiful classic cars! To see all that you should put Sunday July 18th down in your diary! Where will the picnic drive start? What are the costs? Yes, I want to be there too! What will the drive be like? What can be taken? Are there prizes to be won? Taste the atmosphere? Happy Way 2010 near Amiens AMIENS (April 6, 2010) – The 8th edition of the Happy Way at Easter was held in the northern region of France, the Somme near the city of Amiens. The general aim of the event remains having an interesting and entertaining weekend in a relaxing atmosphere, organised by Ledorga. Pictures Happy Way 2010 A rally with lots of beautiful classic cars, this time some twin look-a-likes: 2 goldcolored Citroën SM’s and 2 white Peugeot 304 cabriolets. Furthermore 3 Mercedes SL cabriolets and 5 Citroën DS’s. Also some very old classic cars from the marks Rolls Royce, Bentley and Peugeot.During this event the international participants were able to discover less conspicuous aspects of this quite charming part of France. The GCCC is a unique collection of people. It is the members within the GCCC that make the atmosphere, one that proves to be extremely good. There is a large core of people who turn up at almost every event which results in an enormous enthusiasm. Make a note of these dates in your diary! July 18 : Picnic Ride in the Southern Holland starting and ending at Leidschendam August 22 : Glide and Drive in Zealand September 19: Ride around Tiel/Gorinchem with a visit to Car Junkyard Museum October 31: Ride along Maasvlakte from Rotterdam November 21: Not yet known December 28: 6th Christmas Crib Ride in Antwerp province, Belgium How gay was the fairy-tale king? Drive with stunning views OXFORD (May 18th, 2008) – From May 16 until 18 our British sister club GCCG made Eurotour 2008 the main celebration of its 20th anniversary. The festive programme consisted of a number of beautiful drives in the Cotswolds near Oxford. Apart from that they had organised an extensive and expert visit to the MINI factory. We could enjoy the special Sezincote house, admire cars in the Heritage Motor Centre en visit the beautiful Blenheim Palace. Fortunately the weather was dry, usually cloudy but on the last day the sun made frequent appearances! Photos Eurotour 2008
Zealand has a beautiful countryside with dykes and views, the trendy town of Goes, but also untouched villages like Kloethinge, Wilhelminadorp, Nisse en Overzande and ’s-Heer Abtskerke. A large part of the route is along typical Zealand dykes, right across the countryside.
Windmills and churches played an important role around the village of Borssele in the 15th century, a thing that can still be noticed today. The beautiful Geerteskerk in Kloethinge is one of those with a lot of history. In the village of Nisse we drive past the Reformed Church, and because it will be on a Sunday we’ll notice how quiet this place is, all because of people’s strict faith.
As few places will be open on a Sunday, it is advisable to take sufficient food and drink with you during the day. Near Overzande you will get the opportunity to have some coffee/tea or local currant juice (a specialty of this area). It is the ideal atmosphere for this original product. Even red Dutch wine is made of this! But again: don’t forget to take enough to drink for on your way!
You can drive via Hellevoetsluis across the bridges between the islands and/or along the A58 (Bergen op Zoom – Middelburg). Take exit 36 Heinekenszand. Follow the direction of Lewedorp, then Vliegveld Midden Zeeland.
This time not a proper dinner, but a well prepared BBQ. This BBQ will be at the covered terrace near the airport restaurant and will consist of: meat (think of beef, satay sticks, lamb cutlets); fish (like salmon); French bread; various sauces and salads; sweets buffet. The price of this BBQ is € 20,00 per person.
GCCC member Wilco is an experienced glider pilot and has his contacts in zealand too. Because of him we can fly with classic two seater gliders above the Veerse Meer. You will be dragged during our flight with a dragging aeroplane. That is much more comfortable than with the usual winch.
Participation for this event was closed on August 15th.
If you want to go gliding you should pay € 75,- per person in advance of the flight to GCCC member Wilco at the airport. You will know Wilco because of his nice NSU and Dafs. Please note! Applying means having to pay, because the organisers have committed themselves with the airplane company. This obligation does not apply to circumstances where flying is impossible e.g. because of bad weather.
GCCC members pay € 4,- and guests € 9,-. This includes coffee/tea with a flan at arrival and currant juice on the way.
Yes. For many of our members Zealand is an area rather far removed from the centre of the country (especially if you plan on flying). A possibility for spending the night is the Van der Valk Hotel at Goes. Booking a hotel room is something you should do yourself. But, of course, there are also other hotels or B&Bs.
Yes, dogs are allowed at the airport, but they have to be on their lead.
Taking part is at your own risk, GCCC can not be held responsible in any way!
LEIDSCHENDAM – In summer it has almost become a tradition that we have a picnic together at the beautiful estate of our GCCC-members Piet and Ernst.
You are expected to arrive at Restaurant Tijsterman, Dorpsstraat 114 in Nieuwkoop between 11.30 and 12.00 h. Please note! Park your classic car a little further on, at Maas garage, Nieuwveenseweg 7, Nieuwkoop (car park for monuments). This is only a couple of minutes’ walk away from Restaurant Tijsterman.
What it will cost to take part will be announced shortly. Apart from that, you can make your picnic as expensive or as cheap as you wish.
Great to have you there as well. You can apply straight away via www.gccc.nl/aanmelden-rit. Please do so before July 14th.
A short drive, but one with many surprising roads and views. The drive will end at Piet and Ernst’s estate.
Like in the previous years you take your own table, chairs and home-produced food with you. All this can be used for the joint picnic in the meadow. What about if it rains? No problem, then we’ll have the picnic in the adjoining barn.
Indeed, prizes are awarded for the most original or best-tasting picnic. You can’t be imaginative or outrageous enough!
Webmaster Erik made two impressions on video of the 2009 picnic. They can be seen on YouTube:
The Gay Classic Car Club can now be followed on Twitter in English and in French language if necessary. We want to show the international character of the GCCC in short messages of 140 characters (tweets). Do you have a Twitter account and like to follow us? Check: twitter.com/gayccc
(password: HappyWay2010)
The GCCC, Gay Classic Car Club (Benelux) was founded on 17 May, 1992, when, during the first event, over 45 people became members. The idea of such a club had come from the US. Its membership has risen to over 230 in the course of the years, a growth caused mainly by word of mouth, but also because of articles in several (car)magazines. The aim of the society is co-ordinating and stimulating the interest in historic, classical and special cars amongst homosexuals (m/f).
Watch part 1 of the video
Watch part 2 of the video
It has become a tradition for GCCC to organise a sociable event in the Christmas period. At this year’s event on Dec. 13th, 2009 we were able tolook back at the past year together with other GCCC friends, enjoy the splendour and beauty of the Bavarian fairy-tale king Ludwig II and drive past a few fairy-like castles in the south east of the province of Gelderland (Hernen, Wijchen, Bergharen and Batenburg). The start for the 66 participants was at Hotel Restaurant Umberto, Graafseweg 699, 6603 CE in Wijchen (close to Nijmegen and Alverna) at 12.00 h with coffee/tea with delicious “Wijchen Emiliastoet” pastry. It was there that we also fisheshed this event. Slides show and talkPreceding the drive, our club member Jan van der Schee talked about the beautiful theatrical life of Ludwig II, de Bavarian fairy-tale king. In a breathtaking slides performance accompanied by the beautiful sounds of Richard Wagner, Jan took us on a journey to the neogothic period and old myths. Ludwig was engaged to his cousin Sophia of Bavaria, the sister of empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as ‘Sisi’. After having postponed the wedding a couple of times, he finally cancelled the wedding in October 1867. Ludwig was never to marry, let alone give an heir to the dynasty. Worldwide, historians suspect that he was gay, based on the monarch’s letters and the courtiers’ memoirs. This discussion will always remain controversial, because the Bavarians don’t want to talk about his homosexuality too much.
Then it was time for the drive. It was a beautiful day, rather cold but with the sun shining the drive was full of breath-taking views across the polders and at the country estates. All this variety made one feel sorry when we reached the end. That end was at the car park of Umberto and then we heard the second half of the slides show and talk. By now it was time for a drink and a chat with friends, followed by a nice three course dinner, if one had booked that beforehand. The menu could be chosen on the spot, with a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian.Our thanks to Aldrin, Erik, Rob en Jan!
Photo: Classic cars in front of Heythrop Park Hotel
