It is the classic season. And in times we have not had such good weather. So we can go on an adventure in our own country every day. In addition, it is often funny to think locally on a small scale. We ourselves also notice time and time again that we have not yet discovered much in our region. That's how we came in at Paviljoen de Stadsblokkenwerf.
An open sewer
Only about forty years ago, the Rhine near Arnhem was the open sewer for Billiton and Agfa. In 1968 the people who lived and worked around the Hollandse Metallurgische Industrie Billiton BV in Arnhem noticed that something was wrong. Dozens of cows grazing in the floodplains around the factory suddenly fell ill. A number of them even died. The case was taken to court, but before the court ruled, Billiton paid the affected farmers NLG 150.000, the then equivalent of 75 cows.
A nice gesture
That was the first, and also the only time that the company, without hesitation, acknowledged guilt for serious pollution nuisance. In the early 70, the odor nuisance spread by the various metallurgical installations was so high that workers from surrounding companies threatened to strike if Billiton did not take measures. At the company itself, absenteeism was so high that the management was forced to recruit large numbers of foreign workers; environmental investments were not made.
Our own Bhopal
A sample taken at that time showed that there was much more empty than just odor nuisance and dead cows: 50% of the workers at Billiton appeared to have too high a lead content in the blood. In 1974, the company itself appeared to have carried out a study of the consequences of toxic emissions for its own employees. Result: all Billiton employees had too high a lead content in the blood. The works council asked the company doctor about the exact data of the examination, but he invoked his medical obligation to remain silent. The management also did not hurry to announce the research results.
The pollution from Agfa was so great that photo negatives that were kept in the Rhine water developed themselves.
Now it's better
As Dutch people, we cannot be critical enough of our drivers. But the way in which the Rhine now flows through Arnhem again shows that in the past not everything was better. Even salmon have been seen in the Rhine again. And a local fish poacher caught a catfish of 180 cm.
The now clean Rhine and the Arnhem center on the other side of it can be seen in a kind of 1960-like tranquility from the terrace of the pavilion, the city block yard and the beach in front of it. The Stadsblokkenwerf pavilion is located at the location of the old ASM wharf. Your navigation brings you pretty close. Up to a desolate deserted asphalt plain / parking lot where large concrete things are lazing. There is room enough for your classic.
People with classic motorcycles can simply pass the barrier. You can then park close to the pavilion.
At the head of that terrain you will see a barrier. You have to get around that. On the left are some old shipyard remnants, there are some old boats on the side. And then you sit in the evening sun with a glass of wine enjoying the fact that 'beautiful' can be so close.
Oh yes: the wharf can also be reached by ferry from the Arnhem city side. The ferry sails on Wednesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 18 pm. These are also the opening hours of the wharf pavilion. There are no closing times for the beach. So you can also enjoy your homemade rice salad and white wine on the beach.
Do you also know such nice locations in your area? Then share them with us.
