Meet Hans
Hans has lived in beautiful Geertruidenberg since 1993 and quickly felt at home in the fortified town. A real jack-of-all-trades, he almost immediately joined the board of Museum De Roos and the Oudheidkundige Kring.
Not much later, he trained to become a city guide, a role that proved to be right up his alley. By now he is no longer a member of the board but for more than 33 years he has enjoyed taking visitors through the streets of Geertruidenberg. With his vast knowledge and contagious enthusiasm, he knows how to bring the history of the city to life for the most diverse groups.
Meet Ad
About 22 years ago, while temporarily out of work, Ad ended up at Museum De Roos. What started as a way to keep busy grew into a permanent role: he is still working there with just as much pleasure.
He now works both as a city guide and host at the museum, where he enjoys introducing visitors to the stories behind the collection. What often begins as a short visit, regularly ends up as a stay of hours, according to Ad, simply because there is so much to discover. Meanwhile, he knows better than anyone to bring the history of Geertruidenberg to life: "Every paving stone here tells a story."
Meet Monique
Monique has lived in the fortified town of Geertruidenberg since 2021 and quickly decided that she not only wanted to get to know the town, but to really become part of it. Volunteering turned out to be the perfect way to do that. Thus she began her adventure at Museum De Roos, where her interest in history immediately came in handy.
Meanwhile, as a desk clerk at the Tourist Information Point, she is a familiar face and knows how to enthusiastically help visitors with tips and stories. The combination of helping people and being creative with the social media channels of the Tourist Information Point in Geertruidenberg makes her work extra fun for Monique.
What is the best thing about working as a volunteer for you?
Hans:"Being able to tell about the history and present of our city while meeting lots of different people. With every group in front of you, you have to sense which places and facts to highlight. Sometimes I have a group in front of me of which I wonder how I am going to hold their attention, but in the end everyone is always captured by the fascinating stories to be found in Geertruidenberg."
Ad:"The fun thing about being a guide in museum and city, is the interaction with the visitors. Often we have plenty of fun; especially when I tell the " juicy" details. In addition, it is also nice and important to pass on the history of Geertruidenberg as much as possible."
"But the contact with colleagues is also enriching. For example, together with guide Marcel I sweep the steps of the tower free of dust every spring and we make sure that the Stolpersteinen are neatly shiny again on May 4."
Monique: "I love the contact with people so much! In my life I have had many jobs where contact with people was central, so I really enjoy having found that here again. And the nice thing is: only positive people come by. Everyone is on vacation or out for the day, which makes for a really good atmosphere!"
Do you have another beautiful or funny anecdote from your work as a volunteer?
Hans: "Yes, I once had a group that asked right at the beginning what time we would be done again and was quite jolly. Then I explained that I do this work as a volunteer for fun and that no one is obliged to walk with me. I started and ended the tour at a terrace in Market Square, so I told them they could wait there if they preferred. In the end, no one dropped out and the group turned into a bunch of very attentive participants."
Ad: "I have a costume of a town crier from 1800, with all the stories I tell visitors sometimes I really feel like that. I wear it regularly during walks, that just gives an extra dimension and visitors often really like that."
"At the beginning of the tourist season I was walking around in that suit, while the Bergsche Batterie was also present in the museum, wearing clothes from the Eighty Years' War. Then the idea arose to walk together to the tower prior to a tour. During that moment, an Englishman suddenly approached us and asked if he could join us because he belonged to a group playing medieval music. Incredibly fun and coincidental! That group quickly put on their costumes and ended up making music that day. Spontaneous moments like that make volunteering extra special."
Monique: "One day a father and daughter came in from England, with a French surname: Boucquet. They had been looking for their origins for some time and had visited Brussels and other French and Belgian places, among others. That's how they finally ended up in Geertruidenberg. It turned out that one of their ancestors had been an alderman of the town. After some detective work in books and pamphlets, I came across his name and we discovered that there was still a sign hanging in the church that he himself had painted, with his name on it. Fortunately, the church was open and a guide was able to tell them much more on the spot. How special it is that such a search comes together here."
What is it like to be part of the team of volunteers at Visit De Langstraat?
Hans: "It takes some getting used to, because we only recently became part of this larger group. Before that we were a smaller, close-knit club and now there are many more of us. From Visit De Langstraat, meetings are organized, such as a volunteer day, but I myself have only experienced such a meeting with everyone a few times."
Monique: "We have a nice team and also good contact with the volunteers of Museum De Roos and the city guides. Because we sometimes provide an introduction to the museum when no one is there, it is always nice to spar with each other. This way you also learn more and more about the history of Geertruidenberg yourself."
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your work as a volunteer?
Hans: "Besides this volunteer work, I am also active in other roles, such as chairman of a local client council and the central client council of MIJZO and as secretary of a garden friends club. I am also involved in several associations. It is just incredibly fun to be active as a volunteer and to be able to mean something. I can recommend it to everyone."
Ad: "Since 2023, my wife has also been working as a desk clerk at RBT De Langstraat. Together we do a service every two weeks on Sundays at the front desk and in the museum. It is very nice to be able to do this together and thus combine our commitment."
Monique: "Volunteering is of course not entirely without obligation and that can sometimes make it difficult to combine with your social life. We are all retired and also want to be able to go out spontaneously sometimes. Fortunately, we have an app group and something is always arranged between us. At the same time, the work is very satisfying: you are really valuable to others and help people who want to have a nice day out in Geertruidenberg and its surroundings. Sometimes there is so much to choose from that we help them make the right choices in that."
Join us on a tour through Geertruidenberg
Meet Ricardo
Ricardo has been working as a city guide in Geertruidenberg for several years. He guides the tower climbs and tells the fascinating stories surrounding this eye-catcher of the fortified town with great passion.
Curious about his experiences as a volunteer city guide? In this blog, he takes us on a look at his work.
Read more
Also want to become a volunteer?
At Visit De Langstraat, we are always looking for new volunteers to join our team. We have several positions to fill such as that of desk clerk, city guide but print delivery is also among the options.
Sign up and come help us continue to tell the stories of De Langstraat!
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