Cycling in Belgium Day 1: Brussels to Mechelen

In which Sid visits an Englishman who is forever abroad.

Day 1 of our “self-guided cycle route” was a bit of a challenge to decipher.  You can see the instructions in the picture, which is apparently super-obvious to the locals but a bit mysterious to poor old Sid and Doris, who were already exhausted from having pushed Barney Rubble’s bicycles up from basement 2 of the (very nice) NH hotel.

Cycling out of Brussels we are already off the approved route, and Doris will use that as a useful guide on future days. We seemed to be cycling out past Millionaires’ Row or the local version of London’s Holland Park.

Our first stop is the Brussels town cemetery to find Peter John Day and the crew of Lancaster Mk 1, HK620 from 15 Squadron. Peter was the navigator, Sid’s mother’s cousin and grandfather Norman’s nephew. As a family we used to visit his mother, Marion Day, at the little flat she shared with her sister Elsie in genteel Folkestone. Peter’s photo was on the mantelpiece, looking good in his uniform aged 21.

Bomber crew were all volunteers and were well aware of their chances. In the end Bomber Command lost 51% dead in combat, 12% killed or wounded in non-operational training or other accidents, 13% taken prisoner if they bailed out and survived. Only 24% survived unscathed. The deal was 30 missions or 200 hours before six months away from combat, perhaps as an instructor.

Peter might have remembered his uncle Norman being bombed at work in the Southern Railway engine erecting sheds at Ashford in March 1943. A mixed flock of Me109’s and Focke Wolfs set up as fighter bombers caused much havoc and death. They carelessly left a bomb on the primary school in Beaver Road, the road where Norman and family lived.

Lancaster HK620 took off from Mildenhall at 3.15 on 9th February 1945, crashing in Belgium that morning on their way back from bombing the Hohenbudberg railway yards. The whole crew died.

Peter is buried with six of the crew in the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery which is well tended with roses planted, row on row.

 

 After that we set off for Mechelen, somewhat thoughtfully.

Along the way Mifter Bat spotted a photo opportunity, and then we sat in the sun at a cafe with the Sunday pelotons. No one will steal our bikes with so much carbon on offer.

S also demanded a photo opportunity so we paused for a photo with a good looking hoss, who was obligingly camera-aware and posed himself very carefully.

In Mechelen the highlight is Sint Rombout’s. Mechelen was/is also Malines. In terms of decoration, today the highlight is the sculpted pulpit by Lucas Fayd’herbe.

 

In the1930s the cathedral was the site of the Mailines Conversations as Catholics, Church of England, Orthodox and unorthodox Christians discussed their own reconciliation. There are stained glass windows and plaques in commemoration of the noble aim. The Russian Orthodox Church of 2022 may have lost some of that plot.

Mechelen has a Grote Markt of course, although we are staying in a canal-side square called the fish market.  We are at the Mercure Ve hotel and would recommend it to you wholeheartedly.

The hotel staff are initially reluctant to give us a canal-facing room as they say the square can get a bit hilarious in the evening, but by 9pm on Sunday night the canal is peaceful and pretty.