Poetry notebook reveals some interesting secrets
The annual antique fair takes place this weekend in the Limburg town of Hasselt. The fairs is a veritable treasure of interesting items offered for sale at prices to suit all pockets. Marc Celie is a regular visitor to the antique fair. Once he bought a sketchbook that he thought contained only poetry. Little did he know at the time, but it was to be the start of a friendship with someone at the other side of the Atlantic in Canada.
"The poetry album originally belonged to Greta Den Hertoch”, Marc Celie told VRT Radio 2.
In the 1940’s people often collected signatures of well-known sportspeople and actors in their sketch books. However Greta’s book contains the signatures of the Canadian soldiers that were stationed in the house in which she lived.
"One of the soldiers to the trouble to write a thank you letter to the family. I then started to search for a certain Stuart Meldrem and after three months and a lot of search I was successful. Of course he has died in the meantime. However, his nephew has contacted me. He will be coming to Belgium soon and he will take the album with him. I feel that it should go to Canada. That is the place where it belongs”.
The Hasselt Antique Fair is open all the forthcoming weekend.