A Potted Guide By Sarah Dudfield, updated April 2002

Be prepared to be surprised. Belgium and Gembloux are very much underrated by the British.

Before trying to describe Gembloux it is probably wise to give a brief history of Belgium together with some other general information in order to put things into context. Belgium is a kingdom roughly the size of Wales, with a population of 10 million of whom about two million live in Brussels and the surrounding suburbs. It has a 60 kilometre coastline on the North Sea between France and the Netherlands and is additionally bounded on the land ward side by Germany and the Duchy of Luxemburg. Between the coast and Brussels the land is largely flat and often drained by dykes, though not on the same scale as Holland. This is the Polders area immortalised by Flemish landscape painters. Between Brussels and the eastern borders, Belgium becomes increasingly hilly with deep valleys and gorges cut by rivers and streams as you move further into the Ardennes. This region is extensively wooded and largely unspoiled, despite being a popular tourist venue for the Belgians and the Dutch.

Belgium is a real treasure trove combining magnificent and varied scenery, an extraordinary number of castles, fortresses and chateaux, and a rich variety of small towns which, despite all the various conflicts fought on Belgian soil through the centuries, have managed to preserve or reconstruct their historical centres and architecture along with many traditions. It also has an excellent network of motorways and trunk roads. Brussels itself manages to combine areas of great beauty and architecture together with areas ravaged by modern carbuncles. A lack of planning control has resulted in the loss of many gems, particularly from the Art Nouveau era. Nevertheless, it is full of interest if one takes the time to explore.

Belgium has been an independent kingdom only since 1831. Before that its history is inextricably linked with that of Burgundy, Spain, France, Austria, and Hollland. Records begin with the Romans who, under Julius Caesar, conquered northern Gaul as far as the Scheldt and Meuse basins when the territory was inhabited by the Gallo-Celtic tribes known as the Belgae. Indeed, one such tribe led by Ambiorix (a model for Asterix?) inflicted a heavy defeat on the Romans in 54BC at what is now known as Tongeren in the east of Belgium. Gembloux became a staging post for soldiers and traders and some Roman artefacts are on display in the local museum. The Chaussee Romaine is still visible and in use.

The Romans were followed in turn by the pagan Franks who swept down from the north and colonised the lower Scheldt and the Lys in what is now Belgium. They were converted to Christianity by evangelising Irish monks and, in turn, sent out evangelising missionaries to establish abbeys and monasteries and civilise the heathens. Belgium has an impressive number of such foundations which are famous to this day for their beers and cheeses. A belt of forest stretching from the Ardennes to the Scheldt separated the Franks from the Romanised Celts or Walloons giving rise to the ethnic and language frontier which persists today.

In the early 9th century, Belgium became part of Charlemagne's empire and enjoyed an important position from being adjacent to his favourite residence at Aachen. It was during this period that the waterways were begun which later gave rise to the enormous prosperity in Flanders. During the 9th and 10th centuries, the Norsemen appeared, raiding and settling and giving rise to feudalism and powerful counts who forged links with neighbouring lands and extended their rule as far as Holland and Friesland and gave their name to Normandy in France. One of these, Baldwin II married a daughter of Alfred the Great. Matilda, daughter of Baldwin V, became the wife of William the Conqueror.

What is now known as Flanders thus became strong and unified and it was during the wane of feudalism in the 12th and 13th centuries that the walled towns of Bruges, Ghent and Ypres were established. Their trading prowess, based on cloth, led to them attaining an economic prosperity and civic dignity surpassed only by a few Italian cities, many of whom sent ambassadors and. representatives, including the Medici, to open branches of their merchant banks and related businesses. Naturally, the French who had been overlords before the rise of the counts grew jealous and determined to reassert their authority and eventually managed to reduce Flanders from an independent state to a mere province by 1322.

Local rivalries between the various guilds, animosity between the townsfolk and the country people, the changing of trade routes and the emigration of many weavers to England further weakened Flanders, giving rise to a long period of instability eventually leading to rule by the Dukes of Burgundy, of whom Philip the Good, during his reign from 1419 to 1467, consolidated considerable power. In 1421 he bought Namur; in 1430 he inherited Brabant, Limburg and Antwerp; in 1433 he manoeuvred successfully to acquire Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland and in 1433 he also bought Luxemburg. This same year, he had his nephew, Louis de Bourbon, appointed Prince Bishop of Liège and his bastard son was installed as Bishop of Utrecht. In 1430 he established the order of the Golden Fleece to compliment the wool weavers of Bruges and to glorify his own house and court. Then in 1438 he forced Bruges to surrender many of its privileges in order to consolidate his monarchical authority. Ghent suffered the same fate in 1465.

In 1467 his son, Charles the Bold, succeeded him, imposed absolute rule on Liège and acquired Alsace thus making Burgundy bigger than France which started to become a bit tetchy about the perceived threat on its western borders. In 1468, he married Margaret of York and thus cemented his alliance with her brother, Edward IV of England. Unfortunately he then undertook a disastrous campaign in Lorraine and was killed in Nancy in 1477 leaving his lands in turmoil. His successor, his daughter Mary, married Maximillian of Austria and so the Burgundian federation passed to the Hapsburgs.

Changing allegiances and rivalries between the Holy Roman Empire, France, Burgundy and England led to many battles and occupation of various parts of what is now Belgium with Henry VIII of England occupying Tournai for a while in the course of his wars with France. Eventually with the accession of Charles V of Spain to the title of Holy Roman Emperor, Flanders and Wallonia joined the Netherlands in being subjected to Spanish rule. His son, Philip, who was married to Bloody Queen Mary of England, so suppressed his northern subjects with his Catholic zeal and his Spanish garrisons that opposition inevitably grew in tandem with the rise of Protestantism. This eventually led to the separation of the north - what would become the Netherlands - and the emergence of the House of Orange.

Spanish rule of Belgian lands continued until Louis XIV married the Infanta and claimed the Spanish Netherlands as hers on the death of her father, Philip IV. The Dutch grew nervous at having France as such a near neighbour and, in alliance with England, went to war. The combined forces were successfully led by the Duke of Marlborough who received the gift of Blenheim Palace from a grateful nation. The treaty of Utrecht in 1713 led to France abandoning all claims to the Spanish Netherlands and their being placed under the sovereignty of Austria. Under the reign of Maria Theresa and her enlightened governor, Charles of Lorraine, roads and waterways were built, agriculture modernised and industry, especially coal and glass, was encouraged. These two, in particular, led to the rise in prosperity of what is now the Wallonian region of Belgium.

During the French Revolution and subsequent wars, the Austrian Netherlands were annexed to France and adopted the Napoleonic Code of law. During this time, many of her abbeys and churches were closed down and destroyed as the French abolished religion. Waterloo is only 40 kilometres north of Gembloux. After the battle in 1815, Belgium and Holland were joined as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands under Prince William of Orange in order to provide a buffer against any further French ambitions to expand northward. This was done without regard to the wishes of the people and their differing language, religion, customs and economic outlook. In August 1830, revolt finally erupted and resulted in the recognition, in January 1831, of Belgium as an independent and perpetually neutral state. The crown was accepted by prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg.

Belgium today is divided into four main regions - Flanders, Flemish and Walloon Brabant and Wallonia which encompass ten provinces - East and West Flanders, Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Namur, Hainaut, the Brabants and Luxemburg, as distinct from the Duchy of Luxemburg. Recent political developments have led to each of the three regions being granted virtual autonomy in all things except foreign policy, economy and health. Traditionally, Flanders is Flemish speaking and agricultural but is now developing modern light and high-tech industries which have led to its overtaking Wallonia in the economic stakes. It is also better at selling itself as a tourist destination. Brabant is divided between French and Flemish speaking zones and has a mixture of agriculture and industry as well as Brussels which is the administrative heart of Belgium and Europe. The Belgians are unsurpassed in their talent for bureaucracy. National and local government is elected by proportional representation which has led to a succession of coalition governments, mainly left of centre, and much rivalry between the Flemish and French factions.

Wallonia is French speaking and its wealth was founded on heavy industry such as coal, iron and steel. Now the coal mines are closed and the steel works are succumbing to foreign competition. Being more conservative than their Flemish counterparts, they are slower to adapt to modern trends and practices so this part of Belgium is experiencing some economic difficulties and unemployment. High taxes and national insurance mean that many people work "in the black" so claim very generous benefits from the state whilst earning an income and not contributing taxes. This is not unlike, for example, the UK building sector but in Belgium, which has endured centuries of occupation or foreign rule, it is part of the national character to disguise one's economic activities from the government. This is changing slowly and there are new policies in the pipeline with joined-up IT systems across all government departments to identify miscreants and change the culture to allow general tax levels to be shared more equably and eventually reduced. Meanwhile, Belgium has one of the highest national debts in Europe. This, in turn, is causing friction between the Flemish and the Walloons as they argue about who will foot the bill.

Belgium is thus one of the most devolved and apparently disunited states at the heart of what is supposed to be an increasingly united Europe. Even so it is a friendly and comfortable place to live with a good education system, an efficient and affordable public transport system and comprehensive social and health services. "Waiting lists" do not feature in the national vocabulary. Life here is further enriched by having such a large ex-pat community arising from institutions such as SHAPE, NATO, World Customs Organisation, and of course, the European Union administration and Parliament. All these lead to an unusually high level of foreign diplomatic representation as well as causing many international businesses to site their European headquarters here. Brussels, in particular, benefits from a wide level of cultural and recreational services developed to cater for and profit from such a cosmopolitan mix.

Belgians mainly come from two distinct tribal origins, the Flemings being large and fair like the Dutch and the Anglo-Saxons, the Walloons being smaller and darker and more Latin. Obviously this is a generalisation and much mixing and absorbing has gone on as in Britain with its Pictish, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Nordic forebears and more recent immigrants from the third world. Brussels has a relatively large Morroccan and Turkish population and a growing number of Africans from their former colonies. There are also increasing numbers of east European immigrants fleeing conflict and poverty and political oppression.

The Belgians are very likeable and, when you get to know them, very jolly and friendly. They still have strong family ties and tend to live much more closely to each other than the increasingly nuclear and scattered families of Britain. Apart from their driving, they have a fairly relaxed attitude to life in general. They have a tendency to speed, treat an amber traffic light as a challenge, have a reluctance to wear seat belts and forget to put their children in safety seats in direct contravention of the law which is, in fact, seldom endorsed by police or gendarme controls or patrols. It is also illegal to drive whilst using a handheld mobile phone but this law is also rarely applied unless a local police force is having a temporary blitz. Belgians tend to work on the basis that it's only illegal if you are caught! In spite of this, when you are used to it, driving in Belgium is a lot less stressful than driving in Britain where traffic volumes are so much higher.

People in small shops and most offices generally take the time to say hello and wish you a pleasant day and some shops and businesses still close for a one or two hour lunch. Belgium is very child friendly and children of all ages are welcome in catering establishments from the very basic, such as a McDonalds in Waterloo with a London bus kitted out as a play area, to babes in arms and children being welcomed in shrines to gastronomy such as Gembloux's Michelin starred restaurant. It has to be said that children are expected to behave well in restaurants and are used to it.

Just over 50% of the population speaks Flemish as its mother tongue and, in the east, there are some German speaking cantons, about 200,000 people, which come under the province of Liège. The remainder speak French, usually of a higher quality and purity than many parts of France. There are some Belgicisms, notably septante and nonante for seventy and ninety, and diner for lunch and souper for dinner. Instruction in the other Belgian language now begins at the age of eight in Belgium with English being a third language option taught after going on to the senior schools at the age of 12.

In Gembloux, compulsory Flemish instruction starts in the last year of Maternelle School (5 yrs old) and English is offered as an after school option at the same age.

Belgium tends to be atheist or Roman Catholic. Every village has a Catholic Church; Gembloux also has a Protestant Church and a Baptist Church. Schools offer humanist based moral education for children who are opted out of religious instruction.

Belgium has a rich heritage of art ranging from the Flemish Primitives through religious and landscape artists from Memling, Van Eyck and Breughels to the surreal works of Magritte and the Art Nouveau of Victor Horta. Samples of their work can be seen all over Belgium but especially in Flanders' and Brussels' churches and museums. Felicien Rops, a famously erotic artist is a native of Namur and has a dedicated museum there.

JS Bach's family was originally Flemish until his father moved the family to what is now Germany. Adolphe Sax who invented the saxophone was born in Dinant, south of Namur. Mercator who invented the concept of the globe as well as latitude and longitude was born in Duisberg near Brussels.

Some of France's favourite singing stars are Belgian - Jacques Brel, Johnny Halliday etc.. Belgium has an active music scene with many international artists giving concerts here and an annual pop festival in Flanders every summer.

They have a tradition of fine cinema, winning many prizes at Cannes and now they have Jean-Claude Van Damme making action films in Hollywood. Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Namur all have major theatres and opera. Although there is no national ballet company, there is no shortage of dance, both modern and traditional.

Georges Simenon of Maigret fame was born and brought up in Liège where he worked as a reporter before moving to Paris. Marguerite Yourcenar, the first lady writer to be elected to the Académie Française was Belgian. It is possible to book a guided tour of her favourite haunts in Bruges where she lived for a time..

Belgians are good at science and engineering and are world leaders in human fertility, transplants and dentistry as well as having their own astronaut and innovative computing designers and inventors. In fashion they have a strong presence and they are good at sport with some fine tennis players and cyclists.

When Louis XIVth needed to pump water to the thousands of fountains in his new gardens at Versailles, he had to call on Renkin, a Belgian to solve the problem of having no local supply. He built a pumping station at Marne-sur-Seine having first practised his techniques on the Belgian chateau of Modave which can be visited to this day.

The dynamo, which allowed electricity to be generated as a constant supply, was invented by Zenobe Gramme. Liège was the first town in the world to have public rooms illuminated by electric light.

The combustion engine was invented by his contemporary, Etienne Lenoir, and in the next century it was another Belgian, Baekeland, who invented Bakelite which led, in turn, to plastics, though he eventually had to go to the USA to get funding to continue his research and experiments..

With only a little thought, it is easy to play the famous dinner party game of "Name 10 famous Belgians".

Food is very important. Traditional dishes include moules frites - a pot of mussels with chips; Waterzooi from Ghent - a dish of chicken and potatoes in a creamy sauce; beef carbonnade - a casserole of beef cooked in beer; stoemp - flavoured mashed potatoes usually served with a selection of pork; chicons au gratin - chicory heads braised then wrapped in ham and served in a rich cheese sauce etc..... Many dishes for pork and ham include a mustard sauce which is a tradition dating from the days of Burgundian rule and all that Dijon mustard. There are many fine fish dishes based on North Sea fish and also freshwater fish from the inland rivers.

Belgians claim to have invented chips but prefer to eat them with mayonnaise. There are local producers of duck foie gras throughout Wallonia - two near Gembloux - and the Ardennes specialise in game produce and dishes and pork charcuterie. Many beer producing abbeys also make cheeses.

Belgium has more Michelin starred restaurants per square mile than France, and, with the diversity of nationalities based in and around Brussels, there is a wide variety of ethnic cuisine together with a broad base of good value restaurants, taverns and cafés. There is a strong tradition of delicatessens where local and regional specialities are readily available and the supermarkets also offer a wide range of traditional fare as well as a comprehensive range of international produce. Mass manufactured ready-to-eat is still a very small percentage of the market here though there are local traiteurs who supply ready-to-eat with fewer E numbers.

Belgium imports most of its wine from France but there is a growing recognition of new world quality and value. Prices generally are cheaper than the UK but more expensive than France so plan a trip to Calais for Tesco and Sainsbury if you want to stock up.

The tap water here is fine but hard as much of Belgium lies on alkaline rock or sediment. My supply is local and very pure - my cats drink it which they never did in the UK. There is also a good range of bottled still and sparkling water for those who prefer it.

Belgium has a huge range of about 400 different beers of various strengths served in their own glass. They are nearly all stronger than English beer so should be savoured slowly.

Belgian chocolates and patisserie are far superior and more varied than those of France and are often priced accordingly.

National and religious holidays are still observed and celebrated, in particular "Carnaval", which leads to many towns and villages having their own costumed parades and festivities at any time between Mardi Gras and Easter. The most famous of these are at Mons, Binche and Stavelot.

Spring and Easter are marked by decorating the homes with spring twigs and eggs, chicks, rabbits and yellow flowers whilst chocolate egg and rabbit hunts are organised for children both at home and in the local and royal parks. On May Day it is traditional to have sprigs of Lily of the Valley. Ascension, Pentecost, Assumption, All Saints and Remembrance Day are all well observed with many traditional fêtes, feasts and wreath-laying ceremonies.

Children receive their main presents during the feast of St Nicholas on December 6th. Christmas is celebrated as a major family feast on Christmas Eve with rest and recuperation on Christmas Day before going back to work on Boxing Day. New Year's Eve is celebrated with feasting and fireworks.

Bruges holds its annual Procession of the Holy Blood every year on Ascension Day with the story of the Bible being told in a series of vignettes depicting anything from Adam and Eve to the Crucifiction. These are followed by another series depicting each of the guilds and finally the local dignitaries and Church leaders parade the Sepulchre of the Holy Blood which was brought back during the Crusades. Every five years in August, they hold the Pageant of the Golden Tree which celebrates the Dukes of Burgundy and important milestones in Bruges' history. The next is due in 2006.

Brussels celebrates the "Ommegang" every year to mark the entry of Charles V into Brussels. This too is a mediaeval pageant with street seating being sold through the Brussels Tourist Office.

Namur hosts the Fêtes de Wallonie every September including live music and theatre and street entertainment.

Most towns have a braderie where normal conventions are suspended. This may be a simple one day affair of late shopping and sales to an extravaganza such as that of Gembloux - see page 13.

Belgium's public holidays do not often coincide with those of Britain. Most are based upon the Roman Catholic calendar.

Public:- New year’s Day

Easter Sunday and Monday

May Day - May 1st

Ascension - always a Thursday

Pentecost (Whit sun) and Monday

National Day - July 21st,

Assumption - always a Thursday in August

All Saints - November 1st

Armistice Day November 11th

Christmas Day.

In addition the Flemish have their cultural day on the 11th July, the date of the Battle of the Golden Spurs, and the Walloons have theirs on the 27th September.

If a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, most people "make a bridge" and take the Monday or Friday to make a long weekend of it and head for the coast or the Ardennes.

In addition, Belgium traditionally takes its summer holidays in the last three weeks of July to coincide with the building industry's national break and most factories and a lot of shops and offices are closed. I have discovered that it is fairly hopeless trying to organise anything major during this period.

School:-The school year runs from September 1st to June 30th.

Autumn half term is the last week of October to include All Saints Day.

Spring half term is the week of Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday.

No summer half term as it a short term which already has 3 holidays in May.

Brussels' Zaventem airport is only 50 kilometres from Gembloux and takes 30 to 60 minutes to reach by car depending on the time of day. Charleroi, also known as Brussels South, is about 25 minutes away by car. Other than flying, the quickest route is via Calais, either by car or train.

You can bring your car through the Chunnel or use a ferry or Seacat. Eurostar passenger trains now travel direct to Brussels Gare du Midi from London Waterloo and there are regular connections to Gembloux. P&OStena run the most frequent ferry service. SeaFrance have better food but the crossings are less frequent and often late in my experience. Norfolk Line now run a new service from Dover to Dunkirk.

There is an excellent motorway connection from Calais and Dunkirk via Lille to Gembloux. The motorway via Ostend and Brussels is one kilometre longer and is much busier, less scenic and has a higher accident rate. It can take an hour longer even on a good day. Driving can be exciting as Belgium only introduced driving tests in the 1980s so they can be unpredictable, though their lane control on motorways is much better than that of the British. Indeed they can be quite aggressive about moving back to the inner lane after overtaking but it makes for less bunching of traffic. Belgium and Holland still give priority at junctions to traffic coming from the right. See point 3 of Notes for first-timers on page 18. Always watch for road markings to tell you what's what.

Thanks to the excellent roads, nowhere in Belgium is more than about 2 hours away from Gembloux so there is plenty of scope for sight-seeing, though obviously roads to the coast and the Ardennes can suffer long jams on high days and holidays. The motorways are generally far less busy than those of Britain and the E42 and E411 are lit at night which makes it less tiring to drive.

Most towns of interest to visitors have a ring road to reduce traffic congestion and many have pedestrianised centres with below streets or multi-storey parking at very reasonable rates. There is a comprehensive system of motorways and trunk roads which make it very easy to get around.

Train fares in Belgium are very cheap and there are often special deals at weekends. The trains are clean and in 2001 were more punctual than the Swiss railway system. Brussels has both trams and a metro system. There is also an excellent tram system which runs along the coast linking resorts and places of interest.

As a political and administrative entity, Gembloux currently consists of the town and eleven nearby villages which together make up a population of 21,000+ people. Its main economic activity is agriculture, including academic research, training and practice. There is a University of Agronomy which attracts students from all over the French-speaking world and has a reputation for excellence and innovation in projects to help third-world agriculture. There is also an Institute of Horticulture which enjoys a good reputation for everything from market-gardeners through floristry to landscape architects and attracts students from far and wide. To benefit from, and co-operate with all this expertise, there are many government research institutes located in and around Gembloux with specialities ranging from phyto-pharmacy to forest management.

Gembloux, like Sheffield, was formerly renowned for its cutlery and as a major centre for refining sugar from sugar-beet. The village of Mazy is also famous for its black marble, being the only such site in Belgium. There is an industrial estate at Sauvenière with production ranging from precision plastics to domestic furniture and double glazing. There is also a science park at Isnes for high-tech businesses involved in areas such as ecology and computing.

Gembloux is very close to the geographical centre of Belgium and lies in the province of Namur in the region of Wallonia about 50 kilometres south-east of Brussels and 20 kilometres north-west of Namur. Most of the town is by the junction of the main N4, which runs from Brussels to Namur and on to Luxemburg, and the N29 which runs between Charleroi and Tirlemont/Tienen. It is also close to both the E411 and E42 motorways.

There are traces of Gembloux's existence going back as far as Roman times when it was a staging post on the Roman trade and military road running along the crest between the Meuse and Scheldt basins from Bavay in the west to Tongeren in the east. After the Romans, Gembloux reverted to being a very small agricultural settlement. Its first major expansion was in the 10th century around 940AD when a noble born knight, Wicbertus, founded a Benedictine abbey dedicated to St Peter and St Expury. Wicbertus was later canonised as St Guibert and his statue stands in Place St Guibert. The site was chosen for the defensible virtues of being a rocky outcrop next to the Orneau which provided water as well as power for a mill. It was also near the old Roman road which facilitated transport, there was plenty of wood in the vicinity for fuel and the soil was rich for growing crops.

In 946, Wicbertus obtained a charter from the German king who would later become Holy Roman Emperor Otton I, which gave important rights to the monks to fortify their monastery, establish a market, brew beer and elect their own Abbott. It also recognised the gift of lands to the abbey from the family of Wicbertus. These lands consisted of the areas now known as Ernage, Sauvenière and Cortil adjacent to Gembloux but also territories in the Hesbaye, on the borders of the Meuse and the Rhine and also in France. The charter exempted the citizens from taxes normally levied by local lords on transport of goods via their rivers or bridges. At the same time the monks and their lands received protection from the crown and no other local nobility was allowed to interfere with them.

It seems that somewhere along the way, the charter was rewritten by the monks with minor alterations in their favour and that the more distant lands were exchanged for terrain closer to home so the wealth and power of the Abbey increased. Like many other abbeys in Belgium, it has seen reconstruction and refurbishment according to the prosperity of the times and the energy of the current abbot. The first was constructed at the behest of Wicbertus and, after a few difficulties with some of his heirs who tried to reclaim the family lands, knew a period of splendour under Olbert, (fourth) who was abbot from 1012 to 1048 and who reconstructed the monastery. He built a new abbey church so the original became a parish church. He also established a library of sacred and mundane works and, most importantly, he founded a monastic school which spread its influence by sending out teachers to many more monasteries especially in northern France.

Olbert's buildings lasted to the second half of the 12th century when the abbey fell victim to the hostilities between the Dukes of Brabant and the Counts of Namur. Gembloux was by this time under the protection of the Counts of Louvain who later became the Dukes of Brabant and was besieged in 1136, 1156 and 1185 by the counts of Namur and suffered terrible damage as a result. The buildings were largely restored after this but then suffered again in the wars of Religion of the 16th century. In 1568, the monastery was pillaged by the Calvinists and the shrine of St Guibert was destroyed though the army of the Holy Roman Emperor managed to prevent the abbey being burned to the ground.

From the early days of the granting of the first charter, the abbey of Gembloux enjoyed a great deal of political power and influence. Since the founding of the State of Brabant the abbot presided over the Chamber of Ecclesiastics and supervised the Chamber of Nobles and was therefore at the head of the nobility. From the 16th century the abbot was known as the count-abbot of Gembloux and the domain of the abbey was extended to include the villages of Liroux, Grand-Manil, Bertinchamps and Lonzée. The abbots were often used on diplomatic missions by the Dukes of Brabant. One of these to the king of France in 1297 was none too successful and led to the battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. This was a victory for the people of Bruges and is still celebrated with a pageant.

Peace broke out during the reign of the Dukes of Burgundy whose unifying influence resolved the conflicts between the Dukes of Namur and Brabant. However, in 1678, during the war between Louis XIV of France and the Dutch and English, Gembloux was again the site of a major battle and much of the town and abbey were destroyed in an enormous fire. These wars continued into the next century and it was not until the second half of the 18th century that reconstruction work began under Jacques Legrain, abbot from 1762 to 1785. The architect was Laurent-Benoit Dewez who designed cloisters in the neo-classic style. He was the premier architect of the court of Charles de Lorraine in Brussels. He also was responsible for the reconstruction of the Cistercian abbey at Orval, the Benedictine abbey of Afflighem and the abbot's palace of Saint Martin at Tournai. He was responsible for the restoration work at the Norbertine monastery at Floreffe which still functions as an abbey today and makes beer and cheese.

Local materials were used wherever possible. The stones came from Hunerée near Sombreffe, 10 kms west of here. The bricks were made locally from loam extracted from the quarries of Chappelle-Dieu. Slate had to come from Fumay in the French Ardennes as the local supplies proved insufficient.

Unfortunately, just as work was completed, the French decided to spread their revolution with the Napoleonic wars. This part of Belgium was annexed to France. The abbey and its churches were closed as religion was abolished and all its property was put up for sale in 1797 and was bought by a French speculator called Jean-Baptiste Paulée. In the build-up to the Waterloo campaign, the Prussians gathered their 2nd Corps here before going into battle with the Allies under the Duke of Wellington.

Gembloux had long been a centre of production for cutlery and became a centre for refining sugar from sugar-beet. In 1856 the railway arrived, linking Gembloux with Brussels and Namur and thus improving its economic strengths. In 1857, the national stud which had been founded by imperial decree in 1806 in Tervuren was transferred here but was closed down in 1864 after Parliament voted not to renew its funding. By this time, potatoes had become a staple in the Belgian diet and, like the Irish, Belgium suffered from the potato blight which led to many people emigrating to the US and Canada to avoid starvation and poverty. Generally bad harvests during the first half of the 19th century led to a royal decree in 1860 introducing agricultural training and, later that same year, to the founding of the Institute of Horticulture at Gembloux. M. Paulée's son sold the abbey and its farm to a local master glass maker, François-Joseph Drion whose son-in-law was a close friend of the Minister of the Interior. He succeeded in renting the buildings to the state for twenty-two years after which the government bought them outright as a permanent home for its Institute of Agriculture.

In 1917 the Germans closed the Institute down and used the abbey buildings as a convalescent home for soldiers. Every village square has a memorial to those lost in the conflict, either as soldiers killed in action or civilians shot or deported. Courses began again in 1919. It has now developed into a university with an international reputation and around it have sprung a number of government institutes conducting research in all aspects of farming from computerised models to maximise tractor efficiency to plant and animal research to ensure bigger, healthier crops, especially in the third world.

In May 1940, Gembloux and its neighbouring communes were the site of the only battle won by the French army during the entire Second World War. This was achieved with the help of a division of Moroccans who enjoyed a reputation for being particularly fierce and tenacious and for taking no prisoners. The Germans at this point thus had their work cut out and were understandably reluctant to engage the Moroccans too closely. The upshot was that after several days of bitter conflict with heavy losses, the Moroccans prevailed. Unfortunately, the rest of the French army was in disarray so our heroes found themselves almost surrounded by more successful Germans busy pushing the French and the Allies back to Dunkirk. They were forced to retreat in the night.

The dead are buried in a French cemetery in the nearby commune of Chastre. The Moroccans have Islamic headstones. Every year there is a wreath laying ceremony with representatives of the various armed divisions involved, veterans' organisations and the local communes as well as a deputation from Epinal in France which has been twinned with Gembloux since 1974.

Gembloux in its current administrative form dates from 1965 when small communes all over Belgium were joined into bigger units in the interests of efficiency. Gembloux now encompasses Grand-Manil, Ernage, Lonzée, Sauvenière, Beuzet, Bossière, Bothey, Corroy-le-Chateau, Grand-Leez, Isnes and Mazy. The Town Hall is a building called the Chateau du Bailli which dates from the end of the 16th century and has been extensively and carefully restored by local craftsmen since the war. It gets its name from the fact that it was the building where the monks collected tithes (baillis) from the local population. It later became a fortress farm before being donated to the town. The Bourgmestre is elected together with five Echevins and 20 counsellors every six years. Unlike British mayors, his position is not merely honorary and involves political and economic responsibility for policies, budgets and staff.

Each of the villages has its own nursery and primary schools with children attending from the age of 30 months. Working mothers can send their babies to crêche from the age of about 4 months when their maternity leave is over and opening hours are flexible to allow for full-time working and commuting. During the school holidays, most of the villages run crêche facilities as well as special courses of activities ranging from art to natural history to sport.

The secondary schools are all in Gembloux and include the full academic and vocational range either within the state run system or within Catholic schools. All compete for customers so offer a wide range of specialisations from academic, including Latin and Greek, to the theory and practise of science and technology at varying levels. Parents can apply to any state or church school in the country for their child and weekly boarding is generally available. Most use the local options but others select schools according to the particular strengths or needs of their child or to suit their family situation. There is also a limited range of private schools available, mostly in Brussels and targeted, and priced, at the ex-pat community.

Belgian children start formal classes with homework in the calendar year that they turn six. They have to achieve a certain standard each year to move up to the next year. There are six years of primary school followed by six more at secondary school. All children stay in full-time education till they are 18 when they may start work or go on to further vocational or academic education.

Facilities and competition are extensive. Most villages have their own football club with teams starting at six and going on to veterans and there is fierce rivalry. All sporting activity is co-ordinated by an umbrella organisation called Omnisport. Gembloux also has a swimming pool with clubs for competition as well as cycling, volleyball, basketball etc....... Horse-riding is a growing interest with facilities ranging from formal classes to country hacking. There is a very attractive golf club housed in a former chateau-farm where non-playing women and children are positively welcome. There is a local airfield used by micro-lights and small planes and hot-air balloons pass by on many a balmy evening.

There is also a wide range of cultural activities ranging from art clubs to choirs, folk singing to dancing, astronomy to bird-watching together with the usual range of Belgian equivalents to Scouts and Girl Guides, Lions, Round Table and Soroptimists.

From time to time, the Faculty, in association with Namur Region and other government and European organisations, organises an evening of promenade concerts in the abbey grounds. This is collectively called the "SymBIOphonies" and features various musical entertainments and refreshments in locations in the abbey grounds and buildings.

Performers come from all over Belgium and sometimes further afield. The Loughborough Male Voice Choir was a star turn at the first one. Monies raised from ticket and refreshment

sales go towards funding Third World agricultural projects.

Belgium is unlike Britain in that no two high streets look the same. They do not have a tradition of chain stores and individual shops abound. Even supermarket chains tend to be regional in their spread. Gembloux has four together with a wide range of bakers, butchers, patisseries, delicatessens, boutiques and gift shops. VAT is 20.5% on everything except food ( a mere 6%). There is a market every Friday morning with goods ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables and plants to clothes and household goods. Visa and Access are not universally accepted as Belgium has a very sophisticated direct debiting system..

Gembloux enjoys a wide variety of cafés, bars and restaurants from brasseries to smart restaurants offering a range from traditional and modern Belgian cuisine to Italian, Chinese, and Moroccan. Licensing hours are unrestricted up to midnight, but there is a certain amount of bureaucratic tolerance. Pavement seating is a great tradition in Belgium and the chairs and tables come out at the merest hint of sunshine. Coffee, beer, wines and spirits are available all day and children and dogs are welcome. If you want to eat at the smarter establishments, you will need to book.

The first weekend of August which includes a Friday sees the annual braderie in Gembloux when shops open long hours, display goods on the street and sell at discounts ranging from 10% to 50%. There are fairground attractions for small children and teenagers and the local radio organises something for the mad and dads. Last year it was a refinement on bunjie jumping. One year, the firemen organised abseiling from the clock tower down to the square below the town hall.

Taverns and bars put out extra tables and the centre is closed to traffic to allow space for the musical entertainment and dancing, both open air and under marquee. The local business organisation arranges for strolling players and entertainers ranging from jazz bands to folk dancers to parade through the main streets. To raise money, the twinning association sells food and drink in a temporary pavement café and a good time is had by all, usually till 3 or 4 in the morning. The whole thing ends with fireworks at midnight on the Sunday.

The abbey buildings are very impressive and are worth a guided visit. In the grounds there is an arboretum said to have a specimen of every tree native to Europe. In the rest of Gembloux, there are remnants of the town walls from the twelfth century and two old defensive towers. There is a wonderful mediaeval castle at Corroy-le-Chateau complete with fairy-tale round towers and conical hats. The last functioning windmill in the province of Namur is in Grand-Leez. This village also has the Chateau de Petit-Leez which has become a sculpture gallery, exhibition centre and superb restaurant. Military buffs can tour the battle site.

Namur/Namen with its famous citadel and boat trips on the Meuse is only 20 kilometres away. It also has theatres, museums and shopping facilities. Dinant, another town with a citadel is 45 k south and as well as having a tradition of pewter and brassware, is the birthplace of Adolphe Sax who invented the saxophone. The Ardennes region of forests, villages, chateaux and castles, gorges and waterfalls starts between Namur and Dinant.

Mons/Bergen and Binche have historical town centres and lively carnivals and are about an hour away to the west and, even closer, at the Canal du Centre near Charleroi, there are the only four remaining functioning hydraulic boat lifts in the world. They were designed by a British engineer and make a very good outing with a boat trip included.

Louvain/Leuven has some of the finest gothic buildings in Europe and is only 30 minutes to the north while Waterloo with its battlefields, Lion mound and museums is about 40 minutes north-west. Other places such as Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent can all be reached easily from Gembloux and make excellent day trips by car or train. Other mediaeval towns within easy reach are Lier and Diest, both towards Antwerp.

Ypres/Iepers and the Menin gate are about two hours away for anyone interested in the first world war and its battlefields and cemeteries and monuments to the fallen. Other famous battle sites are Bastogne and surrounding towns and villages in the Ardennes which saw bitter conflict during the Battle of the Bulge in the second world war.

For the physically adventurous, it is possible to spend a day in the Ardennes doing the descent of the Lesse in a single or double kayak, cross country skiing in winter, scenic walks and or rock climbing. The Ardennes also offer nature reserves and cave systems and many beautiful small towns and villages including one, Redu, whose main street is one book shop after another with occasional watering and feeding holes between. There is also the European Space Centre nearby which is a fascinating visit for those interested in science, technology and space flight

Technopolis, one of the best science exhibitions is just north of Brussels near Mechelen. It has great exhibits with lots of hands-on experiments and activities for young and old. There is another new one recently opened at Mons.

Wavre/Waver, 20 kms north, has Six Flags - a theme park rather like Alton Towers with attractions for toddlers to teens and adventurous grannies. It also has good shops and a busy street market every Wednesday with a smaller fruit, vegetable, plants and flowers market on Saturdays..

Twinning was conceived after the second world war to help Europeans to get to know and understand each other on the basic assumption that we would not, in the future, go to war with our friends. It has strayed somewhat from this basic philosophy and widened its scope to cover most continents. Here in Gembloux, we would like to see the current emphasis change from occasional mayoral visits from Loughborough to regular encounters between all levels of our local society and citizenry such as we enjoy with our other twins.

Twinning first began with Epinal in 1974 following a bout of Jeux Sans Frontières. It was thus that those involved continually met people from Loughborough and decided to make the triangle official. Recently we have also twinned with Skyros, a Greek island which has close ties with Ernage, one of the villages of Gembloux.

We also have a twin in the Malacatan province of Guatemala where our Commune (local council) has for some time been paying the salary of a teacher to increase literacy in the local population as illiteracy is a major obstacle to overcoming poverty. One of the local villages has now been renamed Gembloux in recognition of this.

The connection was established some 30 years ago when a local priest was sent out to minister to the Indians. He uses his return visits to lobby Gembloux politicians and citizens to help his adopted people. Gembloux has financed an agricultural student to do a year's research into ways to help the local community. Her air fares were paid out of twinning funds raised at our various activities. As a result, a co-operative of small coffee producers is being established so producers can avoid the coffee brokers and sell direct to get a better price than that normally offered by the large international brands. We are now advising the villagers on how to use this income to finance developments such as improved road access and a medical centre.

The twinning association, with the support of the Commune, has bought a shipment of coffee which has been roasted and ground here and is now being sold through the Commune offices, the churches some local shops and members of the twinning association.

We have regular contact with Schwabisch-Hall at council level but no official twinning agreement.

On the 9th of June, 1998, we officially turned ourselves into an ASBL - a legally constituted non-profit making organisation with a committee of 25 people being made up of the President - Michel Gaillard, the Bourgmestre, Secretary - Philippe Lebacq, three members each for Epinal, Loughborough and Skyros plus other elected members from the ordinary membership. Through our various fund-raising initiatives plus local funding and subsidies from the Walloon region and European Union, we handle about €125,000 per annum so we felt the need to put ourselves on an official footing with legal recognition and a formal constitution.

Gembloux's main twinning committee meets monthly, usually the first Tuesday, or as the need arises depending on the level of activity in hand. We have sections set up to deal specifically with Loughborough, Epinal, Skyros and Malacatan.

There are eight of us comprising seven members of the main committee and another British lady, Jenny Bock, who has lived here over twenty years with her Belgian husband and children. We meet regularly and are particularly keen to promote contacts between young people in order to broaden the outlook of local youth, improve their linguistic skills and ambitions and so improve their employment prospects. We realise this can happen by direct contact as well as by osmosis through family and group exchanges so would be happy to here of any proposals from school, sporting, professional, cultural and leisure clubs and organisations.

As mentioned above, most members of the twinning association turn out to man the stand at the Braderie where we sell a variety of meals and snacks ranging from half a dozen oysters to a seafood platter or an Ardennes platter of charcuterie served with Alsace wines or an explosive Twinning cocktail made with a component from each twinned nation. This nets us about £3000 per annum for our coffers and enables us to host visitors and support large events such as the annual coach trip of local children to the St Nicholas festivities in Epinal.

In addition, each section organises activities to raise money to subsidise exchanges. The Skyros section is the busiest and has three or four events a year to subsidise its regular youth exchanges but also supports events such as a recent pensioners’ trip to the island. Malacatan has an annual raclette evening and Epinal organises a seafood supper and a summer BBQ.

Loughborough has held BBQs in the past but is now planning a change with an afternoon of card playing planned for October 2002 and a tea-dance in the pipeline for 2003. There are at least four fund-raising suppers every weekend in Gembloux so we are trying to vary our format to beat off the competition.

This is now being further restricted to events including at least three communities and having an ecological, economic or third world content. Cultural exchanges no longer qualify. You can apply to the relevant EU office for details.

For more information or advice, please contact:-

Sarah Dudfield - secretary, Loughborough section

Rue du Pont des Pages 127,

5031 Grand-Leez,

Belgium

Tel: 0032 81 64 00 68

Fax:0032 81 64 09 66

Email: sarah.ldds@scarlet.be

We hope to encourage the principle and habit of lodging visitors from our twinned towns with suitable local hosts. However, for official, private or exploratory visits, the following addresses will be useful. None of them is in the centre but all are a short car or taxi drive away.

La Tour d'Argent, Chaussée de Namur 424, 5030 Gembloux Tel: 081 61 16 17 Nice hotel offering seminar facilities and cheaper rates than the Trois Clefs.

La Gloriette, Chaussée de Charleroi 206, 5030 Gembloux Tel: 081 61 58 81 Fax: 091 60 14 79 Bed and breakfast style accommodation with tennis, mini golf, leisure facilities, evening meal available. Some English spoken, pleasant atmosphere

Les Trois Clefs, Chaussee de Namur 17, 5030 Gembloux Tel: 081 61 16 17 Fax: 081 61 41 13 Usual lodgings for official visits, friendly staff, *** standard hotel accommodation and seminar facilities.

Formule 1, up the N4 towards Namur should anyone plan a large group visit for which reciprocal hosting would not be practical. Tel: 081 56 91 56

Gembloux is on the main Brussels line running south from Gare du Midi, via the European Quarter to Namur and Luxembourg. There is a train about every half hour with easy connections for Eurostar should anyone prefer this mode of transport to car or coach. Belgian trains are cheap and reliable.

Brussels international airport (Zaventem) has regular scheduled flights to and from the East Midlands. Depending on numbers in a group you can then catch a train to Gare du Nord and change for Gembloux, hire a car and drive, or arrange to be met. If you hire a car, follow signs to Namur and the E411 via the Brussels ring. Take the E411 south as far as exit 11 and follow the sign to Gembloux. Charleroi airport, known by Ryan Air as Brussels South, is 20 kilometres to the west and you will need to be collected or hire a car.

Whether invited to stay or just for a meal, it is customary in Belgium to offer one's host a gift. If you wish to buy a present, bear in mind that Belgium makes the best chocolates in the world so you should avoid bringing Cadbury's Milk Tray or similar. For male adults, a bottle of Scotch or Malt whisky should be popular and, if staying with a host, a piece of good quality Stilton cheese or serious mature Cheddar. For ladies, try English china or glass or linen, for example something simple like a bone china mug or some Nottingham lace. Don't offer any other English food items unless you know your host will appreciate it. Everything can be got here in ordinary supermarkets or special shops catering for the international community. When dining with friends, Belgians usually take professional flower arrangements or artisanal chocolates for the hostess.

(about 2½ hours)

The quickest route is via Lille. Between Lille and Gembloux, the first petrol/toilet stop is a Shell service area just after you join the E19 just before Mons/Bergen.

- From the ferry or shuttle, take the motorway towards Dunkirk and Lille.

- At junction (sortie) 28 turn off towards Lille. This junction is about 25 miles out of Calais and poorly sign-posted by British standards. It is only 500 metres after junction 27 (Grande Synthe) so make sure you are in the right-hand lane in time.

- Follow the new road which eventually becomes the E42 motorway to Lille and beyond. In Lille, follow signs to Valenciennes and Brussels (Bruxelles). This turn-off comes shortly after a red metal footbridge over the motorway. Again, get in lane as advance signing is poor.

- Stay in the two right-hand lanes for Valenciennes then move over to the left for Brussels on the E42. When this splits with the A8, follow signs to Brussels and Mons/Bergen on the E42.

- This merges with the E19 for a while. When they diverge, stay on the E42, direction Liège.

- You may come off at Fleurus and take the N29 to Gembloux which will take you, eventually, past the La Gloriette guest house on the left and then on under the railway to a roundabout where the Three Keys hotel is on the far corner.

- An alternative route is to continue to junction 13 (Spy). Turn left for Eghezee and Namur, then across the next lights and under the motorway. Follow this road 2 to 3 miles to a new roundabout with a Shell garage on the left. Turn left for Gembloux. Stay on this five or six miles across one set of traffic lights, passing La Tour d'Argent on the left, till you get to the junction with Grand-Leez signed to the right and the centre of Gembloux to the left.

- If you continue to the next roundabout, the 3 Keys hotel is on the right hand corner or you can turn left and under the railway towards La Gloriette guest house.

- For the Formule 1 hotel, stay on the E42 to junction 12 and turn right onto the N4 towards Namur, then immediately left onto an industrial park. The hotel is further on your right. To get to Gembloux just head back up the N4 following the directions above.

1. Make sure you have a good map in case you need to navigate around road works etc.

2. To get to Gembloux you will cross two linguistic regions of Belgium so towns will have different names. I have given both where appropriate.

3. Belgium and Holland still give priority to traffic coming from the right at some junctions.

This does not apply on motorways. However, on smaller roads and around Brussels, other towns and villages, look for a yellow/orange diamond on a white background. This means you have priority at junctions. If, on the other hand, you see a black cross in a red triangle, you are approaching a junction where you must slow down and be prepared to give way. Takes a bit of getting used to.

Speed limits:- Motorways 120km approx 75mph.

Dual carriageways and major roads 90km approx 60mph

Towns, villages and suburbs 50km approx 30mph

Required equipment:- All cars travelling in France and Belgium must have a first aid kit, spare set of fuses and bulbs, a warning triangle in case of breakdown and a fire extinguisher. All of these are available at Halfords.