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#614
ZINE
May 2014
Internationally FocussedAn education that provides both opportunity and challenge inside and outside the classroom. A school where talent and excellence is fostered and potential is fully realised.
Internationally Britishwww.britishschool.nl
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Internationally FocussedAn education that provides both opportunity and challenge inside and outside the classroom. A school where talent and excellence is fostered and potential is fully realised.
Internationally Britishwww.britishschool.nlwww.benjaminarthur.com
Timeless. True. You
WEDDINGS PORTRAITS CHILDREN’S PORTRAITS EVENTS FINE ART
The British Photographer in Amsterdam
Call 06 83 94 35 52 to book your portraiture session and claim your exclusive Britsoc discount!
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Contents
events/ “social friday”
history/ “NL & WW1”
comp/ “king’s day photo comp”
events/ “mass blind date”
article/ “hard rock”
sport/ “golf in NL”
“chairman”chair/
Page 24 Page 26
Page 7
“cooking coach” Page 36food/
“home is where the art is”article/
“sailing season starts”events/
“scottish vote”britain/
Page 10
food/ “nick’s nosh” Page 32
Page 16
Page 20
Page 12
Page 5
“social friday”
“NL & WW1”
“king’s day photo comp” Page 14
Page 24
Page 36
“home is where the art is”
“sailing season starts” Page 10
Page 32
Page 18
Page 20
ZINEEDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Alison Smith | [email protected]
EDITORIAL BOARDIan Cherington | [email protected] Richardson | [email protected] Arthur | [email protected].
ADVERTISINGADVERTISING SALES Andy Symmonds | [email protected]
PUBLISHINGPUBLISHED BYJohn Richardson | JohnTheCopywriter.com
FLIP MAGAZINE PUBLISHING PLATFORMwww.issuu.com
PUBLISHED ONwww.wordpress.org
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FEEDBACKAlison Smith | [email protected]
www.britsoc.nl
ISSUE #614
Colophon >
Page 8
Small classes and personal attention. At the British School of Amsterdam we get to know each and every student. We provide an all-round education that develops the whole person and delivers academic success. From Early Years to Secondary School, we provide top-class British schooling for everyone from expats to locals seeking an international education.
With pupils of more than 40 nationalities, the British School of Amsterdam offers a stimulating and inclusive learning environment for students aged 3 to 18. Non-native English speakers are welcome.
Our curriculum leads to the respected British A-Level qualification accepted by universities worldwide. In addition to the formal academic subjects, we teach European languages including Spanish, French, German and Dutch, as well as English as a foreign language.
Every day is an open day at the British School of Amsterdam. Why not come along and visit us? For more information, see www.britams.nl, or contact us at +31 (0) 20 67 97 840 or [email protected].
FedericoAge 14
Italian/Dutch
“It’s a friendly, caring community”
TEACHING PEOPLE, NOT JUST TOPICS
Page 6
Small classes and personal attention. At the British School of Amsterdam we get to know each and every student. We provide an all-round education that develops the whole person and delivers academic success. From Early Years to Secondary School, we provide top-class British schooling for everyone from expats to locals seeking an international education.
With pupils of more than 40 nationalities, the British School of Amsterdam offers a stimulating and inclusive learning environment for students aged 3 to 18. Non-native English speakers are welcome.
Our curriculum leads to the respected British A-Level qualification accepted by universities worldwide. In addition to the formal academic subjects, we teach European languages including Spanish, French, German and Dutch, as well as English as a foreign language.
Every day is an open day at the British School of Amsterdam. Why not come along and visit us? For more information, see www.britams.nl, or contact us at +31 (0) 20 67 97 840 or [email protected].
FedericoAge 14
Italian/Dutch
“It’s a friendly, caring community”
TEACHING PEOPLE, NOT JUST TOPICS
Page 7
Dear Members,Having now recovered from waaaay too much chocolate, it must be time to get ourselves into action for the spring/summer burst of sport!
In perfect synchronicity, we are continuing to present our series of sports, available for members and guests alike and, in all cases, the more the merrier!
We have tennis, squash, golf, sailing, bridge, badminton, Scottish dancing and more to enjoy so check our agenda.
This month’s focus on golf is right on my fairway, so I hope we see a lot of involvement.
It’s a tricky game but an awesome buzz once you can hit the ball.
The Dutch British Chamber of Commerce are holding their annual golf event on June 24th. at the Naardebos course and we are invited to take part at a reduced (members) rate!
Sponsored by KLM, this should be a great day out, with prizes and a BBQ at the 19th hole and the evening sees England play Costa Rica….live (on TV) in the clubhouse.
Please register directly through me at [email protected]
In the last few weeks, I was privileged to be invited to a lunch with the British Ambassador, Sir Geoffrey Adams, who gave an interesting speech about the need to reform Europe.
The background of rules that govern how we progress (or not) as a union, need revitalising by fresh minds and progressive thinkers. Change is imperative for survival.
This reminds me of our position as BritSoc.
We are changing some vitally important ways in which we operate and even how we think about ourselves as a club. We need all the input and energy we can find at this time. Please help if you can; with an opinion or some time.
But do make sure to jog, run, jump, swim, sail, hit, chase or dance enough!
See you out there.
P.S. There is a new contact person for BritSoc Bridge. If you would like to join in an evening of social Bridge please contact: Mark Ligtenstein at [email protected] call 035-8878034. Weekly either on Wednesday or Thursday.
chairman’s blog/ May 2014
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Sailing 2014The new sailing season is upon us – hope you will
join us. The sailing dates this year will be:
Starts Saturday May 10th (Kaag)Saturday May 31stSaturday June 21stSaturday July 12thSaturday August 2ndSaturday August 23rdSaturday September 13th
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sports/Sailing 2014Most will be
at Kaag but two will be at Loosdrecht.
Which these will be will be announced later. As last year, Kaag sailing starts with lunch/drinks from 12:00 noon. We sail in the afternoon and there is a BBQ afterwards.
At Loosdrecht we meet at 10:00 h and sail to an island for a picnic lunch.
For more details see Geoff’s sailing website at: http://home.planet.nl/~dudle003/BritSoc_Sailing/Start.html
Or follow the link from the British Society of Amsterdam website. www.britsoc.nl
By Geoff Dudley
Friday June 20th, 2014
JOIN 100 OTHERS AS THEY SEEK THEIR PRINCE OR PRINCESS ON MASS BLIND DATE EVENING, AT BARS AROUND AMSTERDAM,
DATEES SPEND 1.5 HOURS TOGETHER BEFORE RETURNING TO THE AFTER PARTY TO SWAP NUMBERS OR MAKE A QUICK GETAWAY.
ALL DATEES MUST BE SINGLE. MUST BE STRAIGHT. MUST SPEAK ENGLISH.
FREE! – CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES, SATURDAY JUNE 14TH.
FOR INFO: WWW. BRITSOC.NL OR EMAIL: [email protected]
The only date with a built in escape!
T H E 17TH A M S T E R D A M
Mass Blind Date
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AMSTERDAMMass Blind DateFriday, June 20, 20.00 - 21.30
Where: in bars in the centre of Amsterdam
for the date then Café de Jaren, Nieuwe
Doelenstraat, for the after-party.
Cost: because we’re such nice people, it’s free!
The Amsterdam Mass Blind Date not only
gives you the chance to meet someone
new, it’s the only date in town that gives
you the chance to swap them if they don’t
work out! Here’s how it works:
You send us your details, we
scientifically* match you, you go and
meet your date at a designated bar near
Café de Jaren, you spend 1.5 hours
together (gazing in to each other’s eyes
or staring at your watch), you return
together to the after-party at
Café de Jaren to swap dates or swap
stories with everyone else on the date.
To meet each other, men are told to go to
a particular bar, stand in a specific area,
and carry an identifying object – it could
be a flower, an artichoke or anything else.
Women call in to our blind date hotline
on the afternoon of the date and are told
the bar to go to, where the man will be
standing and what he will be carrying.
The rest is in the stars…
*a top team of professional match-
ers (well, Tracey, Ian and a few other
stragglers over a glass of wine), process
your information and come up with the
best match for you – up to 100 people
take part so there’s a good chance of us
getting it right….
Look forward to hearing from you,
Tracey, Marielle and Ian.
What we need you to do:
Send the following details before Satur-
day 14th June to
Your name
Your mobile number (note: this will not
be disclosed to anyone, but is important
to add in case there are any issues and
we need to contact you)
Gender (Male/ Female – very important to
add this)
Age
Star sign
Height
Two things about yourself you think
are interesting
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Sean Jansen
No attendance list or Britsoc membership required—so just show up!
http://www.britsoc.nl
Social Friday@The Tara
Friday 9th May, 2014
http://www.thetara.com/nld/
| From 21:00
Back to 2nd Friday of the month
BLIND DATE COMING IN
JUNE!!!! DON’T MISS IT!
DETAILS IN THIS
MONTH’S ZINE.
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This venue is a well known bar amongst the expats. This Irish bar has an interesting variation of rooms mixing from a trendy modern
bar to the classic leather armchair corners and fireplaces. We will meet in the far end of the pub where the rear/ back bar area is exiting to the Nes backstreet
entrance. Look out for us near the bar wearing a bright pink scarf.Social Fridays is a great opportunity to meet new people or catch up with
friends - all welcome. No attendance list, so just show up!
Venue: Rokin 85-89, 1012KL AmsterdamTrams: 4,9,14,16,24 and 25 tramstop Rokin.Contact: Tracey Taylor Email: [email protected]
|events/
From 21:00
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April 26th 2014 marked the 1st King’s Day of Willem-Alexander’s
reign and once again the whole country dressed up in orange, and
sold their unwanted stuff on the streets and partied like its, well,
2014. This picture was taken on my first Queen’s Day here in 2012
and for me it typifies the way the normally reserved Dutch people
love to let their hair down on this very special occasion.
BritPhotShot of the month:
Benjamin Arthur – the British Photographer in Amsterdam.
More information: www.benjaminarthur.com
Page 15Britsoc Photo Lesson #3 Kings Day / May 2014
King’s Day Photo contest
Nikon D700. AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED ISO 160, f/6.3 @1/400s.
Zine readers and budding photographers submit your
King’s Day images to our very special King’s Day
Photography contest!
The idea is as simple as can be. Submit your best King’s Day shots – up to a maximum of 3* – as attachments to the contest email address which is benjamin@
benjaminarthur.com. Instagrams are acceptable.
We’ll be looking for images that captured the overall spirit of the day or that bring to life unique details
that are only seen on King’s Day. Or simply wonderful portraits of people
participating.
PRIZE:Bottle of Pimm’s.
The Summer’s most refreshing tipple.
*Pictures submitted should be not more than 5mb in size.
JUDGES: Andy Symmonds and Benjamin Arthur
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By Nick Nugent
An iconic brand with something new.When you get an invitation to taste the updated menu of an Iconic Brand such as Hard
Rock, then you jump at the chance. Your Chairman Ian, Andy (communications)
and I were invited by Claire, the Sales and Marketing Manager, to test their new and
improved menu, alongside some of the classic dishes which remain. If you have never
been to the Amsterdam Hard Rock before, now is your chance to see it before it
undergoes a major renovation. The Amsterdam Hard Rock Café is one of the busiest in the world and so to
cope with future growth they are doubling in size. One of the other reasons for the increase in size is so that
they can more regularly host live music, something which other venues in the chain do.
Along with the announcement of the new premises, launched late in March, was their new Menu, which is an updated and revamped version, based on customer feedback of over 3,000 guests. The idea was to provide healthier versions of classic Hard Rock dishes and increase the number of vegetarian options available. One thing you may not know about the food in Hard Rock is that everything is prepared from scratch, right down to the BBQ sauce, which means you get fresh every time you eat there. Another unique aspect is that they have their own in-house smoking facility which allows them to produce fresh smoked meat for the Smokehouse section of their menu.
Another great facet of Hard Rock in Amsterdam is you get American service levels. Our host Nina from Poland was extremely bubbly and would be there within a wink of an eye to attend to our needs. If you did not know about the traditions of Hard Rock service staff then
one interesting thing is that they are required to wear Pins (10 is mandatory in the Amsterdam venue). Nina is a free and scuba diver and so had a fascination with the sea, a theme which all her pins reflected, from the hammerhead shark to the mermaid. One other aspect of working at Hard Rock is if you work hard and you are recognised then you are able to be transferred to other locations in the chain. We met a recent transferal from Toronto, who had not been told about the 10 pin rule yet, though I am sure she will correct that before the end of the week.
This pin collecting is big business and they host regular meetings for pin collectors to buy and swap pins. Apparently if you own the original opening pins for a venue or very rare ones like the ones for Queensday, then they can be worth a fortune. Another server we met, Lauro, was in his 20th year with the company after originally starting as a busboy in London. He has now been in Amsterdam
as a server for many years. If you manage to stay this long with the company the rewards are that you receive a silver pin for each anniversary and a pretty decent watch after 10 years, then after 20 they add diamonds to it for you! Not bad eh!
Of course the other thing Hard Rock is known for is the Music and Memorabilia. We were treated to some really fine rock music while we sat and ate, including a blast from the past for me of Still of the Night by Whitesnake. Takes me back to my old rock music pub nights in St Helens drinking Taboo and Lemonade, 3 of which would have me squiffy in those days!
Out of the Memorabilia, the Jimi Hendricks and the Beatles ones are the most popular with tourists. The most expensive piece they have in the Amsterdam location is a guitar from George Harrison. The Dutch rock band Golden Earring are also represented and they are big fans of the café, hosting a recent Platinum Album presentation there. They have mixed up the music a bit more these days and towards the end of our stay it had become a bit more mainstream pop orientated. The atmosphere was great with many families and couples all enjoying the music and food. They are particularly family orientated in fact and will be hosting a Breakfast with Bunny for Easter (which of course will have taken place before this is published).
Page 17
An iconic brand with something new.
Thanksgiving and other major holidays are also special occasions at Hard Rock so look out for the details on their website.
OK so what about the food? I have to admit that this was only my second time in Hard Rock, the first being in around 1990 in the London branch. I know they have a reputation for a great burger and decent beer. Claire suggested we start with the combo platter which has a bit of everything:
Signature Wings, Onion Rings, Tupelo Chicken Tenders, Spinach Artichoke Dip with Parmesan flatbread and bruschetta, served with honey mustard, hickory barbecue and blue cheese dressing.
The wings were tender and spiced nicely, although for my palette I prefer them more fiery, and the blue cheese dip matched well. Apparently the Tupelo Chicken was Elvis’s favourite and therefore unlikely to ever be removed
from the menu. It was one of the tastiest breaded chicken pieces I have had in a long time. The spinach and artichoke dip was sumptuous, maybe not quite as healthy as my brain would like me to believe!
Again, on recommendations from Claire, we tried the smokehouse section of the menu. Andy and I took the same option of the trio combo (which is just over 1 euro more expensive than the duo, we were informed by Nina) with the same 3 meats: Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket and Ribs. This is some plate of food! I had enough on my plate for 2. In my opinion the pulled pork was the best thing on the plate, I think Andy preferred the ribs. The beef brisket was quite tender and flavoursome. It could be the cocktails which we tried alongside the food, but the smokiness was a bit lacking in my opinion, although the quality of the meat could not be denied. The small amount of room I had left for the fries, which were chipped potatoes with the skin left on and spicy coating, were very nice. Their home-made citrus coleslaw was a bit too dry for me and I would have preferred a more classical mayo based one, but the spicy cowboy beans were pretty good, from the one or two I could squeeze in. Ian took the “the Texan” which is a hickory smoked chicken sandwich with barbeque sauce, but you will have to ask his opinion directly as I was too full to steal a try from his plate.
We tried their signature cocktail with our starter which is the Hurricane. It tasted very much like a tequila sunrise to me, but with a bit more balanced sweetness. The classic Mojito which Andy and I also tried was pretty good, although a bit too sweet for me - I would have preferred more lime compared to how it was served.
With its great location overlooking the canal, fantastic service and classic all American food choices the Hard Rock is definitely one to look at if you have not been there and one to try again if it has been a while
Page 18
In 2005 I went with a couple of
friends to try my hand at paint-
ing in artist Paul Smit’s Studio
in Amsterdam. Paul was our
guide but we were free to
paint what we liked and, as I
like Elvis Costello more than
is probably healthy, I decided
to paint my musical hero. This
is the result and I was quite
pleased with it, despite receiv-
ing comments such as “I didn’t
know you were such a fan of
Denzel Washington” and “Is
that Bono?” Well I think it’s
Mr Costello to a T and he has
pride of place on my wall.
ALISON SMITH
This lovely little work by
Carl van Niekerk was a very
generous gift from my friend
Arie van Harwegen den
Breems for my 40th birthday.
He was, at that time, working
for an art dealer and he
obviously has a very good
eye . It’s a lovely, restful
composition and I love looking
at it, so thanks Arie!
ALISON SMITH
Page 19
HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS
I have an artist friend called
Cyril Vickers who is the
doppelganger of David
Hockney. He even paints
like him and, naturally, he
calls his style Mockneys.
He very kindly gave me this
painting of Rye Harbour that I
absolutely adore. It’s in pride
of place over my fireplace
and there isn’t a day goes
by that it doesn’t give me
enormous pleasure. I love
the perspective, the great
expanse of sea with its great
dollops of blue, and the sands
of Rye at the top. I always feel
like I’m swimming across the
room on a beautiful, sunny
day. A perfectly balmy, blighty
afternoon just before I step out
of the ocean of blue and into a
dry towel and a welcome glass
of cooling Pims.
JOHN RICHARDSON
By Alison Smith and John Richardson
This is another piece by
artist Cyril Vickers called Ray
Charles. Because he was blind
Ray Charles could ‘see’ notes
nobody else could hear. But
if I listen carefully I can hear
him singing ‘I can’t stop loving
you’ every time I look at this
etching.
JOHN RICHARDSON
Page 20
by James Mackenzie
The Political case for voting YES to Scottish Independence
WHY SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE WON’T JUST HELP SCOTLAND
britain/
Page 21
Y?N > Ross Hutton photography.Storm clouds brewing?
Page 22
In September Scottish voters will decide whether to set up Western Europe’s newest nation-state, or to stick with the UK we have been part of for centuries.
Both sides make plenty of cultural arguments - typically nationalist whether of the Scottish or British nationalist variety - and both are determined to try to make an economic case for their position. But those are not the root of the issue. The Scottish electorate will above all be voting on a non-nationalist question: how we are governed, and from where.Currently, most domestic decisions are made at Holyrood, in Edinburgh (apart from issues Labour didn’t trust us on, like drugs and abortion). That means health, education, transport, local taxation and so on. Defence, foreign affairs, immigration, national taxes, macro-economic policy and much more is still dealt with by Westminster.This compromise was designed to head off pressure on Labour in Scotland from the nationalist SNP, not because it was necessarily best for Scotland.
And it’s incoherent and problematic, especially when Scotland has two governments
pulling in different directions on so many issues, from welfare to energy. A single administration representing Scottish voters would clearly offer much more coherent governance.But that’s a minor democratic improvement compared to the juicy prospect of effectively abolishing Western Europe’s least democratic Parliament, at least as far as Scots are concerned. Westminster’s second chamber is still composed of hereditary peers, cronies and retired politicians, bishops, and the
In September Scottish voters will decide whether to set up Western Europe’s newest nation-state, or to stick with the UK we have been part of for centuries.
Page 23
like: none of them voted for by the public.
And the first chamber isn’t much better. Unlike Holyrood’s proportional system, the archaic first-past-the-post system used for the House of Commons delivered Labour 55% of the seats in 2005 on just over 35% of the vote, a true democratic obscenity in the 21st century. All three parties which have run Westminster since the birth of the modern era have been in power over the last
decade, and none of them has shown any inclination for proper reform, let alone the determination to make it happen.As I say to English friends concerned about Scottish independence, if they had a referendum this year to get themselves out from under this pale echo of democracy, I’d be down there helping them right now. Perhaps an external shock will make the remainder of the UK reconsider its current sclerotic way of being governed, and Scottish independence could be exactly that.
The last two decades have also seen a Westminster-led assault on the achievements of social democracy, no matter whether we’ve had a Labour or Tory Prime Minister. University access now depends on income, not ability, and the health service has been gradually privatised. Key state assets like the Royal Mail have been sold off. The Scottish Parliament has already preserved what it can, especially on health and education. An independent Scotland could go further, retaining and restoring parts of that public service ethos; and perhaps it might even be an inspiration to the rest of the UK when they tire of neoliberalism.
James Mackenzie is the
former head of media for
the Greens in the Scottish
Parliament, and now
runs Cutbot, an online
media and parliamentary
monitoring service. He
describes himself as
a non-nationalist for
independence.
by James Mackenzie
Page 24
There are many contributory factors behind the start of World War One (WWI), with almost as
many opinions about which were the key causes, but the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
by a Serbian terrorist triggered a series of decisions that in turn triggered the global conflict.
The Dutch Role In World War 1
Andy Symmonds
history/
Page 25
Acoustic listening devices
developed for the Dutch army as
part of air defense systems research
between World Wars 1 and 2.
During WWI the Netherlands remained neutral. A large army was mobilised to defend this neutrality, with a genuine fear that the Germans would invade the
south of the country. This potential invasion was thankfully never realized as the army was ill equipped for modern conflict.Even neutrality, however, can come with a cost. The conscript army remained mobilised for the duration of the war meaning that the soldiers were unable to partake in their regular work. Trade in terms of imports and exports also came to an almost complete halt and poverty and starvation were common features of society. The shortage of goods became further exaggerated in the final year of the war when
there was a total blockade of the Dutch merchant fleet by the British navy. The blockade was prompted by accusations that Dutch merchants were supplying the Germans and breaking the trading ban. In response to the blockade the Germans initiated a U-Boat war against all shipping in European waters, sinking any non German shipping regardless of the flag it sailed under. As a result of the Boer Wars that came before the Great War and the events of WWI, relations between Britain and the Netherlands were at an all time low by the end of the war. Europe and these relations improved quickly post war. It is difficult to imagine the formation of the British Society of Amsterdam in 1920 with this recent backdrop, but the society clearly went from strength to strength.
Page 26
Golf in the Netherlands
As summer fast approaches and winter becomes a distant memory, the focus of our sporting series this month is golf. This is a well-established sport in the Netherlands to the extent that the Dutch
Golf Association (NGF) celebrates its centenary this year. Even with a relatively long history, the game is still growing and this looks like it will receive a boost with the local hero Joost Luiten having had an excellent 2013 and being a real contender to be the first Dutchman to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup later this year.
by Andy SymmondsPage 27
sports/
Golf in the NetherlandsThe good news for the discerning is that there are some excellent courses to play. The top three at the moment, according to the locals, are the Noordwijkse, the Haagse and the Kennemer courses.
All three are classic courses with excellent thatched clubhouses, links type setup in the dunes and a true reflection of the pedigree here. A wider audience could surely not ignore the newer and testing courses at the Dutch near Utrecht, and the International near Schiphol – a spectacular setting where a lofted tee shot could pierce the wing of an approaching 747!!
For newcomers, the sport in the Netherlands has some peculiar features not found in the UK, the most notable being the Golfvaardigheidsbewijs, or GVB as it is widely known. The GVB is effectively a golf
ability license taking the form of a standardised test and licensing process that players of the game of golf must go through in order to be allowed to play on many courses in the Netherlands.
The GVB was introduced because there are few golf courses in relation to the number of golfers. Because there was no requirement previous to the GVB, anyone could play on a public course. This led to situations that were hazardous or undesirable to other players. In the 1980’s the GVB was introduced to remedy this problem. The GVB is a pre-handicap process and guarantees a certain level of ability and knowledge of the rules and etiquette of golf. The GVB is required for entrance into a golfing association or to play on an official golfing association course although most clubs will have their own admittance policy.
Page 28
Britsoc Golf/
T here have recently (April 2013) been some changes to the rules that not everyone is fully aware of, so
we will try to help you through this. In the Netherlands there are three steps to follow: Baanpermissie (course permission): the local pro has determined that the player is good enough to go out on the local course (but only the local course). You naturally have to pay (approximately €20) for your baanpermissie and you need to check with each club what their specific rules are. If you live in the Amsterdam area then you can currently play without a handicap or a GVB at Amstelborgh, the Abcoudebaan at Olympus, and Waterland.
Golfvaardigheidsbewijs (GVB): the player has taken a test and is deemed good enough to obtain the GVB. The player can play on any course where GVB is the minimal requirement. This test now comprises of a theory test (available in Dutch or English) that means you have to score a minimum of 23 from 30 multiple choice questions, and a practical test requiring you to play some golf. Under the new rules you now have to play nine holes with a maximum score per hole of three shots over the par.
Handicap: the player has taken the handicap exam and has played the required amount of holes with a score deemed eligible for a handicap. The player can now play any course for which the handicap is the minimum requirement. Some clubs will not let players on their course with a handicap greater than 24. If you already have a handicap from another country you can exchange it for a NGF (Nederlandse Golf Federatie) handicap.
There are additional costs for you to register (and update if appropriate) your handicap, and these costs vary by club. One relatively easy route is to register with United Golf (http://www.unitedgolfclub.nl ) at a cost of €49.99.
If you are new to golf or a seasoned player but new to the Netherlands and looking for some input, there is a British Pro working out of the Amstelborgh Golf Centrum called Steve Killin. Steve can help you get out onto the golf course whatever your level of experience is. He can be contacted at [email protected] and is available for private and group lessons and can coach you through the exam process.
golf/
Page 29
The British Society currently has a privileged set of three tee times on Saturday mornings at the local Hoge Dijk course in Amsterdam. At no extra charge, members are welcome to join in a social round and meet some expats. Sending an email to [email protected] is all you need to do.
If you are looking to join an informal club of other players then there is a friendly group of like minded golfers called the Banditos. This is a mixture of expatriate and Dutch players that play every other weekend throughout the year. If you are interested then please contact the club secretary, John Williams, at [email protected]
By Andy Symmonds
British LanguageTraining Centre
English & Dutch CoursesTeaching English (TEFL)
www.bltc.nlTel. 020 622 3634
bltc
Orteliusstraat 362hs, 1056 PV AMSTERDAMTel: 020 6275025 / 06 27305428 E-mail: [email protected]
Professional assistance with all your printing demands
Member of The British Society of Amsterdam
40 years of graphic experienceAll graphic and printing services
Page 30
At ISA, we believe that great facilities can set the stage for great learning. ISA is housed in a space specially designed for international education. And inspiration.
Our facilities include a four-floor library/media center, a 400-seat theatre, science labs and specialist studios for music, art, and drama. More than 400 computers are joined in a school-wide, online network. Students work with laptops and iPads in the classroom. Two state-of-the-art gyms, discovery oriented playgrounds and adjacent playing fields are large, well equipped and secure.
ISA’s campus is not a luxury. It’s where ideas are born.
Sportlaan 45 - 1185 TB Amstelveen - The Netherlands - Tel. +31 20 347 1111 - www.isa.nl
Exciting and developing young minds
ISA campus, main entrance
Setting the stage.
C
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CM
MY
CY
CMY
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Taste Life!Kingsalmarkt, the world-famous foodstore!We are known for our wide range of products from countries all over the world. ‘Taste life’ is what we call that. Visit us for your favourite American cornfl akes, brownies and soups, British jams and honey, Mexican tortillas, Spanish tapas and ham, Italian coffee and pasta and French cheese. Of course you can pick up the rest of your groceries too.
Rembrandtweg 621, 1181 GV Amstelveen-noord, tel. 020 643 37 51 www.kingsalmarkt.nl [email protected] reached by car (free parking) and public transport (5 or 51 tram to Kronenburg)Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am – 6 pm Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm
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Britsoc food correspondent Nick Nugent
Reporting fromthe four corners
of the Amsterdam kitchen
Food Festival Diary:
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NICK’S NOSH
Britsoc food correspondent Nick Nugent
Reporting fromthe four corners
of the Amsterdam kitchen
Food Festival Diary:
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April and May usher in the start of the food festivals in and around Amsterdam. Below I have given a selection
to get you all the way until July. Don’t say I never told you. I have not included regular markets like Neighbour Food Market or Pure Markt, which I hope you have all found by now. If you come across any others that I should mention in a future issue, please contact me at [email protected]
Film Food Festival9-11 May 2014Location: Varioushttp://www.foodfilmfestival.nl/en/It is mostly a film festival about food,but there are some workshops. One features our own Chris Naylor giving a Masterclass on Eggs!
Food Festival Diary:
Taste of Amsterdam15-18 May 2014 15th 17:00 – 23:0016th 16:00 – 23:0017th 12:00 – 23:0018th 12:00 – 21:00
Location: Amstelpark, Amsterdamhttp://www.tasteofamsterdam.com/Tickets cost 9:50 euros for entry. Florijn for buying food and drink is 1.25 eachIf you want to get an idea of the event see my review from last year in the July/Aug edition of Zine under Nicks Nosh.I am away this year but if any guest writer wants to review the event please feel free to send us your review to [email protected]
Rollende Keukens (Rolling Kitchens) 28 May to 1 June 2014 - 13.00 to 23.00Location: Westergasfabriek Amsterdam. http://www.rollendekeukens.nl/Tickets: FreeThis event returns for its seventh edition of this fun outdoor event with food served from mostly VW camper vans.
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Dutch Raw food Festival1 June 2014 – 11:00 21:00Location: Boerderij Langerlust, Provincialeweg 24, Amsterdam. http://www.rawfoodfestival.nl/Tickets: TBCThis is the second edition of this festival. If you are interest to take a peek at this food movement then this would be an interesting place to start.
Vlaggetjesdag(Flag day – arrival of the new Herring or “Hollandse Nieuwe”) 14 June 2014 - time TBCLocation: Scheveningen. http://www.vlaggetjesdag.com/If you want to try the freshest of the fresh herring then this is the place to be in June. It has lots of other activities to keep you interested but the focus is on the herring.
Viva las Vegas food festival 29 June 2014 – 9:30-22:00Location: Oldschool Gaasterlandstraat 5 Amsterdam http://vlvfoodfestival.nl/This free food and lifestyle festival is to showcase vegan, vegetarian, organic and local produce.Contact: [email protected]
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Karen Vivers
Baked Salmon with Parsley Sauce
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food glorious/
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food glorious/
Karen Vivers, originally from Scotland, has lived here in Amsterdam since 1997, and
has set up the Cooking Coach to help inspire people to get back into the kitchen. The basis of the cooking lessons are easy, tasty, healthy recipes. Each course starts with a free introduction session, to make sure that you only cook what you like to eat. As well as cooking lessons, Karen offers Culinary Tours in Amsterdam, is a passionate Food Blogger and works freelance as a
Culinary Consultant, specialising in small and medium businesses, helping them get started, grow and deal with commercial challenges.
Spring Time Lunch. Baked Salmon with Parsley SauceIn the depths of winter, I am cooking stews and casseroles. Meat based, marrow based, bones sticking out of the pot kind of meals. Lots of root vegetables, woody herb flavours and beer, mustard or meat stock sauces. I find it practically impossible, in those moments, to even conceive that I could ever want anything else. I cannot imagine that the weather will again influence my food choice. You’d think, after all these years, that I would have learned. Learned that yes, spring follows winter, and yes, as it does every year, my tastes will adapt and I will go from craving the deep dark dense delicacies of the winter kitchen to the light, lively, luscious spring and summer flavours. I must be slow on the uptake.
And again, to my wonderment and culinary naivety, along with the change in the weather and the longer evenings, I reach for another set of ingredients. Not only do the ingredients change, but the cooking techniques too. Long gone are the slow cooks of the dark winter days. Now it’s all about quick and fresh meals. The heavy meats are replaced by a longing for lighter fish. The dark sauces are dumped for zingy options. The woody hard herbs give way to soft summer ones.
There are some things that don’t change though. Whatever time of year I still like to have a nice lunch at the weekend. A proper, sit down, cooked lunch. I don’t say a Sunday lunch, because it can just as easily happen on a Saturday for me. So what do you do? Yes, of course, you could always still do a big piece of roast meat, I mean, what’s spring without lamb? Thing is though, as the weather gets better I want to be out and about in it, not staring through the glass of my oven, clock watching until the lamb is cooked. I suppose you could turn to that all year rounder, the god ole’ chicken. I don’t always want that though. I want real change. At this time of changing seasons, I want something that clearly marks it. So being
the kind of person who is attracted to extremes, that’s what I do here. I go from my slow beer braised oxtail stews to fish. In this case, salmon. It’s something about the colour I think. The pinkness against the fresh green of the parsley that confirms for me that summer is coming and I have made it through another winter.
Preparation Time: Less than 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Less than 15 minutes
Ingredients for 4 servings
For the salmon4 x tbsp tomato ketchup2 x tbsp light soy sauce2x tbsp Chinese rice vinegar2 x tbsp honey2 x tsp Shao Xing rice wine (optional)
For the Sauce15gr / 0.5 oz. unsalted butter15gr / 0.5 oz. plain flour300ml / 10 fl oz. semi-skimmed (half fat) milk2 x heaped teaspoons of Dijon mustard A large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped very finelySalt (easy on the salt as the mustard can be salty)
Method
To bake the Salmon1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C / 400°F.2. Place aluminium foil in a roasting tray. Enough
so that you can wrap the fish in it loosely. Place the fish on the foil. Drizzle over the oil and the lemon juice. Sprinkle over the salt and the pepper.
3. Cover your fish with the foil, making a loose parcel.
4. Place the tray in the oven and allow to bake for 7 to 12 minutes. The cooking time will not only depend on your oven, but also on how thick the salmon fillets are.
5. While the salmon is baking you can make the sauce.
To Make The Sauce6. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Not a
non-stick pan.
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food glorious/7. Add the flour and mix it, using a metal whisk,
until it is covered with the butter (a few seconds)8. Add about half of the milk, whisk vigorously, it
will be lumpy, don’t worry. 9. Once this is thickened into a mass, add the other
half and whisk until smooth.10. Turn the heat down to low, add the mustard and
parsley with a little salt and mix it through with a wooden spoon, let the sauce simmer very gently for a few minutes.
11. If at any point you feel the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of milk.
12. Check for seasoning and serve.
Tips and Variations• I like to serve this dish with some boiled new
potatoes and either broccoli or green beans.• You can use other fish too. Trout works very well,
or milder tasting fish like whiting, cod or halibut.• Try adding some chives to the sauce for an extra
flavour.• You can make the sauce in advance. It may
seem thick, but when you heat it gently again, it should reach the texture you want. If not, just add some milk.
• For a really luxurious version, use cream instead of milk, or use half cream, half milk.
Karen’s COOKING BOOK
“Love Food, Live Healthy” now available on Amazon.
Learn How to Cook the Healthy, Tasty Meals you
WANT to Eat!Karen has recently published her first book ‘Love Food, Live Healthy’ ,which is ideal if you want to eat more consciously or lose weight without compromising on flavour or your enjoyment of food. A very achievable, common sense approach to healthy eating and cooking. With over 150 no-fuss, contemporary recipes suitable for cooks of
The Cooking Coach Love Food, Live Healthy
www.thecookingcoach.eu
Mobile : 06 1424 0009Email: [email protected]
all skill levels. As well as the recipes in the book showing you what to eat, there is lots of information about how to eat to stay healthy.This book started life as a collection of recipes used by Karen to lose over 40kgs. Karen was diagnosed with a Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D ) in 2003 and had lost and gained 100’s of kgs over her teenage and adult life. Karen realized that she had to face her fear (and her great love) – food - and take a whole new approach. This became the start of her successful and sustainable weight loss and the inspiration for her business “The Cooking Coach”.The book can also be downloaded to kindle and other E-readers and is compatible with tablets and smartphones as well as laptops and PCs.
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