MOTnews 45 (11/07/2003)

"Save the Baker's Ovens!" on line

In a previous edition of MOT news, we asked you to let us know about any traditional baker's ovens still in existence. Many readers replied swiftly to our request.

The request is part of the "Save the Baker's Ovens!" project. With the support of the Province of Flemish Brabant, the MOT wishes to help preserve this little piece of our technical heritage.

We are also proud to announce to you that over and above the on-line inventory of baker's bread ovens, we've now put a whole range of info about baker's oven on the Web (only on the dutch version of the website).

You can consult the site at www.mot.be/bakovens. If you have any questions that are not answered on our site or if you know of other baker's ovens still in existence that are not listed, please send us your information at info@mot.be.

To create more feedback and to give the fans of the traditional baker's oven their own "meeting place", we've also set up a baker's oven community at http://groups.msn.com/MuseumvoordeOudereTechniekenGrimbergen .

Fishing, trade and piracy in and around the North Sea

From 21 to 23 November, a seminar is taking place in Oostende's Walraversijde Museum with as its theme: "Fishers and fishers' settlements in and around the North Sea area in the Middle Ages and later".

Everyone involved in research into or policy on fishers, fishers' settlements and the fishing heritage in and around the North Sea is warmly welcomed.

All the practical information you need is available at the following address:

Glenn Gevaert, Provinciedomein Raversijde, Museum Walraversijde.

Nieuwpoortsesteenweg 636 8400 Ostend Tel.: +32 59 70 22 85 Fax: +32 59 51 45 03 E-mail: glenn.gevaert@west-vlaanderen.be

GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES

An alternative for waterproofing spray? A simple tallow candle.

The custom of using tallow candles to rub into shoes to make them watertight was recommended to all those serving in the Belgian armed forces in an Army publication dating from the beginning of the 20th century.

SAY WHAT?

In this MOT-news item we try to explain proverbs and sayings that have their roots in our technical history. Similar proverbs are found in different languages, but each language has it's own typical sayings. Therefore we do not translate this item in English.

KIDS news: something to tell your children this evening

Summertime - barbecue time - all the time?

With all the lovely summer weather we've been having over the last few days, we're sure that lots of you will have enjoyed yourselves at a barbecue. Hamburgers, sausages, steak maybe, all grilled over charcoal. Fun for all the family (except perhaps for Dad, as he goes red with exertion trying to keep the flames going!) Imagine how tired all those strapping outdoor chefs would get if they had to do it day in day out!

Well, just a little over a hundred years ago, in ordinary Flemish families in the countryside, people cooked like this every day of the year. After all, there weren't any kitchens with electric stoves and cooker hoods in those days. Most of the time, there wasn't even a separate kitchen at all!

Most houses only had one living room, and in it you would find the fireplace, which was used not just to heat the house, but to cook food on too.

So cooking in those days was a lot like having a "barbecue every day", although people certainly wouldn't have been able to eat meat every day.