CC-TAPIS AND WILD ANIMALS’S MAKE SWEET RUGS TOGETHER by PIN–UP Wild Animals’s Grandma Patterns rugs for cc-tapis Photographed by Francesco Nazardo for PIN–UP 38 Van Mierlo’s latest addition to the cc-tapis family both structures and softens the domestic worlds it inhabits existing in a place between order and instinct Photography by Francesco Nazardo for PIN–UP 38 Production Irene TamagnoneSet Design Ludovica RosatoTalent: Mariina Keskitalo (Brand Management)Text by Julie Klein and Rachel HahnOriginally published in PIN–UP 38 XXL A screenshot of one of Matthijs van Mierlo's YouTube videos, as shared on the channel of his award-winning social media brand, The Gaze So, why is art-world social media becoming a booming business of its own? “When you factor in organisations undervaluing social media, a lack of digital literacy among key stakeholders and limited budgets, traditional social agencies may struggle to pitch ideas or grasp the intricacies of a cultural organisation,” says Corrodus, who is based in the US and became a full-time consultant 18 months ago. “This niche consulting seems to be riding the broader wave of museums and art institutions really embracing the digital age,” say Maria Robles Gonzalez and Sierra LaDuke, the co-founders of the US-based company Send it Social, which was founded in 2023. They point to Covid-19 as the catalyst for the increased focus on social media in the arts. Send it Social at first intended to work with nonprofits in general before it honed in on museums. “We began to realise that museums were content goldmines due to all the stories housed in their collections, which when shared online could resonate with people due to our shared humanity,” Gonzalez and LaDuke say. “Between the access to great stories and the impact we could make, it felt like a no-brainer to niche down.” He believes that one of the reasons these niche specialists have emerged is because the art world has its own language, history and context. “A good story is a good story, no matter the topic, but of course you need a thorough knowledge of the arts in order to tell a story about it,” he adds. There are also many benefits to having an outside perspective. “Oftentimes, working at art and museum institutions, there is a ‘curse of knowledge’ where you have experts in the field who know so much about a certain topic, but may not be able to articulate it in a concise way,” Gonzalez and LaDuke say. Van Mierlo’s engaging educational videos—“in a tone that, if they used it, wouldn’t fit [a museum’s] style”—also appeal to a young audience that art organisations are trying to reach. There is agreement that in-house expertise in creating digital content is often lacking within museums. Not only do you need art experts and people with a knack for storytelling, but also those adept at filming, hosting and editing video, and creating graphic design and photography, not to mention strategising and analysing data. “Creating high-quality content that reaches a broad audience involves a great deal of expertise and specialists, which isn’t cheap to have in-house,” says Van Mierlo. But Corrodus argues that external consultants are just a “band-aid” for an ill-equipped sector: “The very obvious truth is the cultural organisations that have good in-house social teams or expertise—such as the Crab Museum and the Vagina Museum—are the organisations that are winning.” blog13 November 2023How TikTok coaches art world institutions to go viralThe social media platform's lifestyle and education team has been offering services to companies like Sotheby's to help improve content and grow followings blog14 April 2023'TikTok, TikTok… It’s time the art world stopped being so uptight and joined the world's most entertaining app'Big museums are missing a trick by refusing to embrace the youth- and fun- oriented platform blog3 April 2024Not-so-new kid on the block: Pinterest moves in on museumsThe platform is making use of its reputation as a visual search engine to collaborate with art institutions Residents of Geldrop-Mierlo and Nuenen who have opposed the arrival of a large distribution centre at Eeneind-West still have a small chance that the distribution centre will not come This was announced by the province of Noord-Brabant The province has announced that the application for the nitrogen permit is still being processed This is stated in the provincial government’s answers to questions from the PVV The province is currently not issuing nitrogen permits due to the poor state of nature in the province Whether or not the permit for building on Eeneind-West will ultimately be granted is not yet clear It is also a matter of waiting to see when more clarity will be provided the province’s new nitrogen policy must first be successfully rolled out and its effects must be proven The nitrogen dossier is the last straw that residents of Nuenen and Geldrop-Mierlo can hold on to The villages are not waiting for a distribution centre and all the traffic that it entails The municipality of Nuenen is currently busy studying all objections to the plan the owner of the land in Eeneind-West is fully within his rights which means that the municipality of Nuenen where the distribution centre is to be built Another way out would be if an alternative the same good location and with the right zoning plan and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Delivering the news from Henley on Thames and South Oxfordshire for over 100 years has resigned from South Oxfordshire District Council who was first elected to the council for the Watlington ward in 2023 has now triggered a by-election that will be held on May 1 He is one of two party members to step down at the same time A statement released by the Liberal Democrats said the two councillors had stepped back from the authority to “concentrate on other roles.” Mr van Mierlo remains a member of the county council where he has represented the Chalgrove and Watlington division since May 2021 He has come under fire from some Henley residents for holding positions on both councils following his election to Parliament But Mr van Mierlo has said that he will not be seeking re-election in the forthcoming county election Mr van Mierlo was elected as MP for Henley becoming the first Liberal Democrat to hold the post in the constituency for more than 100 years said: “It has been a privilege and an honour to serve the residents of Watlington as their district councillor “I’m proud of the work done while I was cabinet member to support a successful application for bathing water status at Wallingford beach as well as deliver carbon saving projects at the district council’s leisure centres and buildings “I have always been clear since my election to Parliament that I would step down from my councillor roles at the local elections This decision follows through on this commitment.” He added: “I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of Watlington as their Member of Parliament Watlington will always have a special place in my heart.” HIGGS GROUP Tel: 01491 419400 www.higgsgroup.co.uk HENLEY PAGES Tel: 01491 419419 www.henleypages.com HIGGS PRINTING & DESIGN Tel: 01491 419429 www.higgsprinting.co.uk HIGGS OFFICE SUPPLIES Tel: 01491 419499 www.higgsofficesupplies.co.uk HENLEY LIFE MAGAZINE Tel: 01491 419449 www.henleylife.co.uk © Higgs & Co (Printers) Limited 2016 | Registered in England number 1418717 Powered by Miles 33 « Back Freddie lives in Henley-on-Thames with his wife and young family Freddie is commitment to campaigning for better healthcare services for Henley and Thame He consistently speaks out against sewage dumping in our precious inland water ways As a Cabinet Member on South Oxfordshire District Council he championed Henley’s application for Bathing Water Status that would have forced Thames Water to clean up the river The Tory government rejected the bid and has suspended all new applications Freddie works as a consultant to healthcare companies and patient groups It gives him valuable insight into health systems and the issues they face He wants to bring this knowledge to improving health services in Henley and Thame The Liberal Democrats will use your contact details to send you information on the topics you have requested. Any data we gather will be used in accordance with our privacy policy at www.libdems.org.uk/privacy. To exercise your legal data rights, email: data.protection@libdems.org.uk Promoted by the Liberal Democrats, 1 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PN.Website by Prater Raines Home » CubicPV announces long term partnership with OCI Holdings Silicon solar wafer manufacturer CubicPV and global polysilicon leader OCIM Sdn.Bhd. officially announced a long-term supply agreement in which OCIM will supply Cubic with high-quality establishes a commitment for an annual supply volume by OCIM outfitting Cubic with the polysilicon it requires to commence operations at its planned U.S The partnership between the two companies eliminates the supply chain risk for Cubic’s customers by combining U.S compliant silicon with American made wafers all meeting or exceeding customer specifications “This agreement with one of the world’s foremost leaders in polysilicon production is testament to our manufacturing capabilities and the progress against our U.S compliant silicon is in extremely high demand and we are fortunate to lock-in our supply with a trusted partner,” said Frank van Mierlo The silicon wafer is currently the bottleneck in the U.S solar value chain and the OCIM partnership solidly positions Cubic to meet the demand for U.S.-produced wafers OCIM will begin to provide silicon in 2025 from its Malaysia facility which is fully powered by clean hydroelectricity Source World Business Outlook is a print and online magazine providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business and the global economy. Ambachtsdorp. The 'Ambachtsdorp' (transl: Crafts Village) consists of nine very different dwellings around a collective courtyard. Because of to the square shape, all houses are shallow and enjoy a lot of daylight. In addition, the inner garden gives the building and its residents an intimate and sheltered outdoor space. The building is not parcelled out, but the dwellings have been put together like 'tetris' puzzle pieces. This made it possible to create an optimal home for all residents, which fits everyone's program and budget. © Bas GijselhartBody Building. The 'Body Building' was developed by and for three designers who all work from the human body. They wanted to design their studios and collective presentation space in a building that was as circular and sustainable as possible. The load-bearing structure of the building, including the facade, is made of cross-laminated timber (CLT). In front of this, an insulating layer has been built in self-supporting, insulating hempcrete blocks. These bio-based materials provide a breathable shell and a healthy indoor climate: Together they store more than 200 tons of CO2. On the outside, the facade is finished with lime plaster and a layer of paint. The idea for the design of the special 'skin' of the building was developed by the clients themselves. It is inspired by the human body, where the bones can be read through the skin, and by the appearance of scaffolding structures wrapped in white plastic foil. © Bas GijselhartWerkgebouw. For ‘Werkgebouw’ (transl: Work Building) a diverse group of entrepreneurs set out to create a multifunctional building. A challenge was the consistent design and engineering of the unusually diverse program. The facade is not a patchwork of appearances but has a calm, all-sided and rhythmic appearance. © Bas GijselhartThe design of the façade shows the structure of the building: A layer of overhead doors on the ground floor and a double rhythm of windows on the first floor. The load-bearing structure is made of a dry and demountable steel system with a facade of steel and polycarbonate profiles. A serrated and recessed roof structure provides space for the hotel and is executed in a golden yellow corrugated steel facade. © Bas GijselhartPARK NRE. In the tender request, the plot for PARK NRE was designated to meet the extra parking demand created by the transformation of the NRE site. To maintain the otherwise intimate structure of streets, alleys, and squares on the NRE site, an office building was made above the parking. The office building houses five different companies, including the office of architect Houben / Van Mierlo. From the large entrance staircase on the corner of the plot, you enter the central axis of the building. Inside, a large staircase takes you further to a central kitchen and canteen. With an abundance of daylight, thanks to the sawtooth roof, this is the beating heart of the building. © Bas GijselhartThe building has a green roof, a spacious roof garden, and a green facade in the making. The facade is designed as a slatted frame on spacers. The facade is covered with a sophisticated palette of plants which are planted at ground level in the open ground. © Bas Gijselhart‘Made by NRE’ is this final development that completes the transformation of the NRE site The former gasworks site has been transformed into an exceptionally sustainable You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsoxfordshirenewsHospital wards are ‘similar to a prison’ says Oxfordshire MPOxfordshire Lib Dem MPs are calling on the government to “fix crumbling hospitals” Five Oxfordshire MPs are urging other MPs in the region to vote for a Liberal Democrat motion in Parliament which is calling for the creation of a ‘crumbling hospitals taskforce’ Charlie Maynard and Freddie van Mierlo say it will “help fix the area’s decaying NHS buildings which are in desperate need of repair” During opposition day debate in Parliament this afternoon the Lib Dem motion will call on the Government to reverse its decision to delay the New Hospital Programme which has seen 18 of the 40 projects pushed back from the original 2030 deadline It also calls for a crumbling hospitals taskforce which would help fix the ‘crumbling’ NHS estate Freddie van Mierlo says it’s an opportunity to “hold the Government’s feet to the fire” and put pressure on ministers to speed up the fixing of crumbling hospitals He is calling for upgrades to Warneford Hospital in Oxford as well as the Royal Berkshire Hospital which is used by many residents in South Oxfordshire Mr van Mierlo said: “I’ve heard from countless patients and staff who are really worried about the impact on local healthcare No one should have to worry about crumbling roofs or dilapidated buildings when they are being cared for in hospitals.” The Liberal Democrat MP also says the Warneford Hospital is “similar to what I saw at a prison” rooms with quite poor furniture and rooms that are cold and inappropriately heated “When I said this to one of the staff members because they want politicians to see just how bad the state of facilities for delivering care is within the county.” We have contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for a comment Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Geldrop-Mierlo is struggling with a deficit of almost €3,500,000 the municipal government wants to increase parking rates cut civil servants and cut on youth policy Political parties can partly agree with the proposals “We are not going into a cramp” The Mayor and Aldermen have made budget cuts proposals to the municipal council The advice is not only aimed at budget cuts property tax and postponing sustainability and climate goals “Fewer civil servants could already solve part of the problem” “During the debate that we will have with the council I will also make it clear that we as D66 are pleased that a number of proposals made by the board have already been raised by us Think of limiting the number of civil servants the number of employees at the town hall has increased by fifteen per cent D66 wants to prevent the budget cuts from being passed on too much to the residents “So no increase in property tax” an even distribution of the ‘pain’ is a given for Van Happen “That is why we are in favour of introducing paid parking in Mierlo You cannot increase parking rates in the centre of Geldrop and keep parking free in Mierlo Of course we understand that this will not make us popular but we are one municipality and the same rules should apply everywhere” party leader of CDA (christian democrats) in Geldrop-Mierlo believes that no big gains will be made by introducing paid parking throughout the municipality He sees more in cutting costs in the organisation itself and ‘creating extra space in accounting’ “This means that we use certain facilities that we do not use in other ways And spreading out the plans for sustainability and climate improvement also saves a lot of money because there were no concrete proposals yet” “The year 2025 is not called the ‘ravine year’ for nothing Many municipalities are in danger of getting into trouble because the central Dutch government contribution is lagging behind expectations And we are largely dependent on national politics in The Hague Especially since we are increasingly being given more tasks Think of youth care and the WMO (Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning We are eagerly looking forward to Prinsjesdag* (Prince’s day) when we will hear what the central government has in store for the municipalities the largest coalition party DGG (local party) understands the budget cuts proposed by the Mayor and Aldermen Group chairwoman Ingemar Lubbers: “You cannot disagree with them in terms of content They have clearly looked at what is possible and in our opinion a well-considered decision has been made we were not shocked by a deficit of €3,000,000 DGG does not necessarily want to stick to its principles with regard to increasing the property tax and postponing the sustainability and climate objectives “We are against an unnecessary increase in the property tax Opposition party PvdA (labour party) does not want to cut back on sustainability on the expenditure side and sees more in introducing parking tax in the centre of Mierlo and an increase in the property tax by almost ten per cent Group chairman Paul Elsendoorn: “But certainly not cutting back on social provisions there is too much control on finances and too little on policy Within the PlusTeam – which offers voluntary assistance to residents who have been referred by the CMD (Centrum voor Migratie en Ontwikkeling centre for migration and development) or Veilig Thuis (safely home) – this has not been agreed upon” municipalities are in danger of losing billions because they are not receiving enough inflation compensation “The government promises the municipalities full compensation for inflation but gives more than one per cent per year too little” “We would therefore like to know from the board what this means for the Municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo and whether additional cutbacks are necessary as a precaution we are positive about the process of arriving at a balanced budget” Source: Studio040  is the day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the Staten Generaal der Nederlanden (consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives) to give the Speech from the Throne (Dutch: Troonrede) similar to the annual State of the Union in the United States or the British State Opening of Parliament This speech sets out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session The war graves of the liberators from the Second World War will be lit on Christmas Eve in Eindhoven and Mierlo Candles will be placed at more than a thousand graves “It is a moment for the community to reflect on the liberation and the sacrifices made.” This tradition was started in 1991 by Leena van Dam She placed candles on war graves throughout the country It is now done at 485 locations and more than 26,000 graves worldwide the liberation fire from Bayeux will be symbolically transferred to Mayor Jos van Bree and youth mayor Stan van Steenbergen The British Field of Honour will be the graves of 655 soldiers The programme will be accompanied by music including trumpeter Guus van Gogh and singer Audrey Smits who has been committed to commemorating the liberators for years After the vandalism of the British War Cemetery Lody and his wife Johanna Stam Melanson have always striven for a commemoration in which children are a part This year marks the eighth time that primary school children from Geldrop-Mierlo will place candles on war graves Van den Berg looks with pride at the tradition that he and his wife have set up “It is essential to commemorate our freedom and show respect for the fallen,” he says The tradition of lighting candles on Christmas Eve is now firmly established in Eindhoven as well This symbolic action is organised by the 18 September Foundation and the Gravenstichting Brabant Fifteen minutes before the ceremony begins they will ring the bells of the church tower at the cemetery a young person who tells the stories of the elderly The meetings in Mierlo and Eindhoven both start at half past four Translate: Ayşenur Kuran  FREDDIE van Mierlo has lobbied four government ministers in a bid to accelerate the repairs and reopening of a public footbridge The Henley MP has also called on Steve Reed the Secretary of State at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to increase the funding available for bridge replacements and refurbishments in the next spending review The rotting Marsh Lock horsebridge was shut by the Environment Agency in May 2022 following complaints about its condition Repairs were originally expected to take two months but were delayed when the agency denied it was responsible for maintaining the river crossing which has more than 100 defects in the deteriorating hardwood will have to be replaced in its entirety and this was reliant on partnership funding the Henley Standard revealed that the repairs may now not take place until 2026 and could cost about £1.3m In a letter to Mr Reed he said that he is “deeply concerned” that a solution has not yet been found” He said: “I truly appreciate the fiscal inheritance you have been left by the Conservatives who woefully overlooked their responsibilities towards adequately funding the Environment Agency as part of the Chancellor’s spending review I would like to call for increasing funding for bridge replacement/refurbishment projects and locks as part of a holistic approach to the maintenance of river infrastructure.” Mr van Mierlo said he wanted to discuss working towards a resolution so that partnership funding can be simplified or expedited adding: “It is critical that we find a solution that will benefit both the local community and the many visitors who rely on this route to explore our beautiful countryside.” He has also written to Lisa Nandy and Wes Streeting the Secretary of State at the Department for Digital Media and Sport and the Department of Health and Social Care To Baroness Hayman he asked how the Thames Path National Trail will fit into the government’s plans for a new National Rivers Walk saying restoring the horsebridge is essential to improving public access Mr van Mierlo wrote: “The Thames Path winds its way through my constituency stretching from Henley and Shiplake to Benson and Dorchester “This iconic route is deeply valued by both my constituents and visitors offering access to some of the most scenic and picturesque stretches of what is one of Britain’s most renowned rivers I would like to ask how the Thames Path National Trail will fit with the government's plans for the new National Rivers Walks.” He invited Lady Hayman to join him and his two Shiba Inu dogs for a walk to see the challenges that members of his constituency face first-hand he shared his “ongoing frustration” regarding the bridge closure and that this was affecting the mental and physical wellbeing of the community He said: “National Trails UK estimates the annual savings to the NHS of the UK’s national trails amount to £300m It is therefore in the interests of the NHS and wider health goals to reopen the bridge in a timely way “I invite you to consider the importance of national trails in achieving the goal of prevention and in particular the Thames Path within the Henley and Thame constituency “The restoration of the horsebridge would not only improve safety and accessibility but would also allow residents and visitors to reconnect with nature improving their mental and physical health.” Mr van Mierlo said the bridge's closure jeopardises access to a “critical historical and cultural feature” and its importance should be recognised He wrote: “The earliest recorded use of a lock at this location dates back to 1580 What makes the horsebridge truly unique is that the lock is situated on the opposite side of the river from the towpath necessitating the construction of a long wooden bridge to carry the path out of the lock island below the weir and then back again to the riverbank above the weir This feature is unlike any other on the River Thames.” Henley Town Council pledged to take legal action to accelerate repairs to the bridge It served notice on Oxfordshire County Council to force it to state whether the bridge is considered a public highway and who is liable to maintain it The Environment Agency has said that the decision on the safest and cost-effective options for the bridge will be made as soon as possible Molenheide office complex on Geldropseweg in Mierlo is being converted for the temporary shelter of 25 Ukrainian refugees It is not clear whether the location is also an option for an asylum seekers’ centre According to ED (Eindhoven daily newspaper) In the middle of the forest plot lies a residential-office complex dating from the sixties of the last century but has been used as an office in recent years The municipality calls it ‘very large Hence the renovation: the sanitary facilities are being upgraded broken windows are being replaced and the whole building is being painted The intention is for the first Ukrainians to live there in mid-November The municipality calls it a strategic purchase which is now temporarily being used to accommodate Ukrainians The municipal authorities recently presented a plan to better organise the housing of asylum seekers there was already talk of an asylum seekers’ centre (azc*) for three hundred asylum seekers More clarity on this should be available at the beginning of 2025 During the presentation of the budget it also became clear that there are relatively few locations in Geldrop-Mierlo for establishing an asylum seekers’ centre There is therefore no list of possible locations According to the distribution law that is still in force the municipality must accommodate 231 asylum seekers Geldrop-Mierlo currently only meets the quota of 54 minor refugees the municipality has the task of housing 232 Ukrainian refugees There are plans to place a few temporary units for the remaining twenty Source: Studio040 The Municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo is setting aside €1,700,000 for the reception of refugees the council announced its intention to house 300 asylum seekers This money comes on top of the budget Geldrop-Mierlo receives from The Hague and COA (Centraal Orgaan Opvang Asielzoekers central agency for the reception of asylum seekers) should an asylum seekers’ centre be realised The Mayor and Aldermen want to use the money to make preparations and recruit a project manager the reserve pot can easily be used to respond to new developments and wishes within refugee reception It would also make it easier to absorb unforeseen costs the municipal council wrote that it was looking for space for 300 asylum seekers It expressed a preference for one location as this would lead to less burden on the systems of education Yet conversations with residents and business owners last autumn showed that residents prefer several small-scale reception locations the municipality hopes to have realised the shelters the council wants to phase out the temporary reception for minor asylum seekers in Akert and the emergency accommodation for Ukrainian refugees Source: Studio040 Geldrop-Mierlo is now also going to encourage residents to rent out a room in their own home It is one of the ways the municipality wants to combat the housing shortage The municipality is partnering with housing corporation Compaen en Hospi Housing a platform for supply and demand of housing where residents can be assisted in temporarily renting out a room The Municipality of Helmond is also involved in the initiative residents of Geldrop-Mierlo can rent out a room without a permit This applies to people who have bought a house as well as to people who rent a house landlords can earn earn some extra money tax-free it brings extra companionship in the home and can help reduce loneliness Similar steps were taken in Eindhoven three years ago the possibilities for renting out a room were broadened an online platform was launched to connect students and landladies the municipality wants to do something about the shortage of student housing the Municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo will look for suitable locations for long-term reception of 300 asylum seekers It will also look for reception places for Ukrainian refugees Local politicians have given the green light to reserve an additional 1,7 million euros for this purpose This money is in addition to the budget that Geldrop-Mierlo will receive from The Hague and from COA* should an asylum seekers centre be realised The Mayor and Alderpersons want to use the money to make preparations and hire a project leader the municipality hopes to have realised the reception facilities The City Council approved the plans by a large majority with only DGG (local party) and SAMEN (together they argue for smaller shelters outside built-up areas SAMEN is also critical of additional expenses for the reception now that Geldrop-Mierlo is in financial dire straits There is a search for a larger asylum location or several small reception centres The intention is that these will be open for at least ten years A longer-term location is also being sought for Ukrainian refugees Local politicians have also agreed to a number of agreements There were also discussions with business owners in the two villages Some agreements are that residents are involved in the choice of a location reception sites are preferably spread over Geldrop-Mierlo and that the impact of an asylum reception centre for a neighbourhood is taken into account central agency for the reception of asylum seekers asielzoekerscentrum: asylum seekers centre Suzanne van Mierlo runs a training stable for young showjumpers in Heel “People bring their young horses to us unbroken so most of the time we introduce them to the saddle and after they take their first steps into the sport with us,” Suzanne explains these horses stay with us until they are five- or six-years-old and then they return back to their owners – to go for the bigger sport We co-operate with a few big names such as Jos Lansink and Lucy Davis.”  Less stress means the horses gain much more confidence and are much more co-operative After being impressed by the results her friend Theo Molenaers experienced when using Equine 74 Gastric on his horses, Suzanne introduced the product to her youngsters. “I found Equine 74 Gastric through Theo Molenaers my partner here in the stable,” Suzanne tells “Theo introduced me to Equine 74 Gastric as he feeds this supplement every day “The change I noticed in the young horses I work with was remarkable,” Suzanne says about starting to feed Equine 74 Gastric I first of all felt them becoming better on the leg It felt like it was easier to ask something from them.” Equine 74 Gastric: Make your horse feel happy inside! Natural acidbuffer, optimized pH-level in horses stomach and gut that helps for better performance and satisfaction without compromise. Because good for your horse should also mean good for you! Order a free feed sample. Suzanne feeds Equine 74 Gastric to her horses twice a day “I feed it in the morning with their normal mix they get hay to get the stomach going and 30 minutes later we feed the grains and then they get their second scoop of Equine 74 Gastric,” Suzanne explains.   Before discovering Equine 74 Gastric, Suzanne used a lot of money on omeprazole. “Before, I was using a lot of omeprazole – but then the problem was already there,” Suzanne says. “Equine 74 Gastric on the other hand is extremely useful to prevent these stomach problems. With Equine 74 Gastric which can save a lot of time – as well as money it’s of huge help as you can cut out a lot of the stress they have because they come into work Less stress means the horses gain much more confidence and are much more co-operative.” Equine 74 Gastric counteracts the effects of constant stress-related acid problems with high mineral acid buffering. Learn more. “I would especially recommend Equine 74 Gastric to those who work with young horses,” Suzanne says “I think every young horse is going to have stress due to all the new experiences they are exposed to and it will always affect their stomach I think Equine 74 Gastric is good for everyone who has sport horses – on any level Equine 74 Gastric can be useful to everyone who wants to help their horse lead a more comfortable life.”  “Another product I like is the Equine 74 CALMRELAX,” Suzanne adds “This is a paste that you give directly in the mouth and I use it when I show the horses and for training days and I am extremely happy with how my horses react to it It is an extra help for the sensitive stomachs.”  © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net FREDDIE van Mierlo has urged the Government to help secure bathing water status for the Thames in Henley The Henley MP spoke in a Commons debate on Tuesday on bathing water regulations In November the Government launched a review of the current.. In November the Government launched a review of the current criteria for bathing waters to improve monitoring of locations where large numbers of people swim Bathing water status places a legal obligation on polluters and government to test water quality during the bathing season and improve water quality a bid by the charity Thames21 to secure bathing water status for the River Thames at Mill Meadows was rejected by the Department for Environment which was supported by Henley Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council was said to have failed to the meet the criteria Mr van Mierlo said the current system was “perverse” as it requires swimmers to brave “potentially dangerous water” before a site is cleaned up He said: “This topsy turvy thinking is all wrong That’s why I very much welcome the Government’s review of the status.” He said that “bonkers” criteria had stopped the Henley application from being successful Mr van Mierlo said: “Despite widespread use of the river only spontaneous immersed swimmers count as river users But being a paddleboarder does not mean you won’t end up in the water rowers are constantly exposed to spray and contact during their sport a fact that leads every year to reports of domestic and international athletes falling ill at Henley Royal Regatta after being exposed to our effluent “It’s embarrassing to know that during the regatta it may well be that it ends up having to be wiped down from the side of a boat “It is also bonkers that organised swimming events have been excluded from the criteria While I understand that one would not want to see events organised solely with the purpose of meeting the criteria Henley has enjoyed a vibrant organised swimmer culture for many years with four annual events put on by the brilliant Henley Swim “I urge the Government to replace the current bathing water designation with a recreational water designation with teeth taking into account the full range of river users.” The MP requested a meeting with the minister Henley or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk Rayogreatest hitsoxfordshirenewsOxfordshire MP demands immediate action from Thames Water over sewage leaksResidents are repeatedly reporting raw sewage overflowing onto their streets from manhole covers A local MP is demanding immediate action from Thames Water over ongoing sewage overflow says residents in his constituency regularly report being forced to wade through dirty water with toilet paper on the street Mr van Mierlo has written to Thames Water demanding urgent action in response to the ongoing sewage overflow and tankering issues affecting the Berrick Salome Parish he expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the continued lack of response to the concerns of local residents Residents are repeatedly reporting raw sewage overflowing from manhole covers It comes at a time when customers bills are set to rise by over 30-percent next month meaning the average household will pay £639 per year “these incidents occur each time it rains and have become a distressing and regular occurrence for residents” The local MP has called for an immediate review of the situation and demanded an urgent response to the questions raised Mr van Mierlo said: “The residents of Berrick Salome have been enduring this serious issue for far too long Thames Water must stop offering temporary fixes and provide a long-term solution to protect the environment and the health of the local community I will continue to hold them to account until they take meaningful action.” He added: “I look forward to a prompt and comprehensive response from Thames Water on this critical issue.” Thames Water say they will provide a detailed response to his letter by 25 March and that they have engaged with Mr van Mierlo A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We know how much people enjoy and appreciate rivers which is why over the next five years we will deliver a record amount of investment to address our ageing infrastructure “This is an enormous undertaking; we are responsible for the oldest and most complex infrastructure of any company in the sector “We continue to execute our plans to upgrade over 250 of our sites across the region to increase treatment capacity and lower the number of storm discharges.” They added: “We are committed to seeing waterways thrive wildlife and increasingly extreme weather also play a role in river health While all storm discharges are unacceptable the sewage system was historically designed to prevent sewage backing up into people’s homes Transparency is at the heart of what we do and we were the first water company to publish a real time data map on our website before it became legal requirement to do so.” It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beautiful Mom Corrie was predeceased by her loving husband of 53 years It lightens our hearts to know that Mom and Dad / Oma and Opa are together again Corrie was also predeceased by brothers Jos and Jan grandchildren Devon (Noraida) and Graham (Meaghan) and great-grandchild Nathaniel Also left to remember her are her brother-in law Theodorus (Dirk) van der Kroon and many nephews After the war she met Bill and they made the leap to start a new life in Canada in 1958 They lived in Winnipeg in their first years and family togetherness was a priority Many weekends the family went to parks or the beach and went camping known as the “the farm” and weekends were still spent together outside in the gardens tending to the animals and pulling the kids and eventually grandkids around on the tractor and snowmobiles They got to know many of the neighbours and good times were had at neighbourhood gatherings Corrie had a kind loving spirit but was also a hard-working Lady She had many jobs other than being a fantastic wife She spent her early years in a sewing factory Eustache and worked as a teacher’s aid at the local Hutterite colony Her most rewarding job was caring for Bill for 20 years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s She was so full of love for those she cared about Corrie continued living life to the fullest She joined a bowling league and got involved in activities at the Knights Center in Selkirk She would love to meet up with friends and family for lunch and especially enjoyed meeting up with her grandkids for breakfast She had a special friendship with her brother-in-law Dirk and they cared for each other as they aged gracefully They enjoyed their weekly Cribbage games with friends Peggy and Charlie with so much laughter and “zingers” flying back and forth The family would like to thank everyone at the Selkirk Palliative Care program and Homecare Corrie’s wish to live at home till the end was made possible by their care and support Cremation has taken place and a small family service will be held please consider a donation to the Alzheimer society or Cancer Care Stan van Steenbergen (10) was installed as the new children’s mayor of Geldrop-Mierlo on Monday he will be going out with the Mayor and Aldermen he will be working on a self-chosen project aimed at combating bullying Mayor Jos van Bree took the time to thank former children’s mayor (kinderburgemeester) Annalot van Neerven for her dedication creativity and enthusiasm in the past year With her projects she has shown how important the role of children is within the municipality Her successor Stan lives in Geldrop and is in group 7 of primary school Beneden Beekloop likes to play football with friends and enjoys gaming Stan wants to work against bullying and discrimination He wants to draw attention to these important topics and hopes to make a difference Alderman Mathil Sanders speaks enthusiastically about the appointment: “Stan will be given a great opportunity to grow personally and to carry out his important project with passion will become an even more child-friendly municipality in the coming year” The children’s mayor of Geldrop-Mierlo is the voice of all children in the municipality and aims to represent the interests of the youth The municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo is going to make its historical buildings even more visible as official monuments A total of 130 municipal monuments and twelve national monuments will be provided with a shield that is recognisable throughout the Netherlands This process is carried out in consultation with and after approval of the owners of the buildings The official unveiling of the first monument plaque is next Friday at the castle in Geldrop initiated by the Village Marketing Geldrop-Mierlo Foundation in collaboration with the Zesgehuchten Local History Society and the Myrle Local History Society focuses on marking all national and municipal monuments within the municipal boundaries In addition to placing the monument plaques Village Marketing is also committed to making the textile past of both Geldrop and Mierlo more visible in the streetscape This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page HENLEY MP Freddie van Mierlo said more fines for water companies are unlikely to encourage the improvements that are needed Ofwat announced on Tuesday that firms would be made to reimburse customers £157.6m for failing to meet targets set for 2020-25 This is is the fourth consecutive year that companies have had to refund customers for falling short of targets The watchdog’s report rated the performance of 16 of the largest water and wastewater companies across the UK on several different targets internal sewer flooding and sewer collapses The penalties will be enforced through a reduction in customers’ bills in 2025-26 but most customers will only see a reduction of about £10 But Mr van Mierlo said the measures won’t deliver better outcomes for customers He said: “It’s no surprise that Thames Water has been given the highest fine given the poor performance that we’ve campaigning on for so long “I’m not confident that it will significantly change the behaviour of Thames Water What we need is comprehensive reform of the water industry that the Liberal Democrats have been calling for including a complete ban on bonuses for water bosses and reforms to create public benefit companies and a sewage tax “Those are the measures we need and I’m really doubtful that this measure alone will deliver the outcome that we want We laid out in our manifesto a really clear pathway to delivering improvements to the water industry that deliver the funding needed to do it and that’s through public benefit companies which have been evidenced in other countries to work well “These companies would have in their statue the duty to deliver in the public interest and would have environmental scientists on their board to deliver against that.” He said that the Liberal Democrats would be seeking amendments to the government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill which was introduced in the House of Lords last month for it to include measures outlined in their manifesto The bill includes a broadening of the circumstances which would trigger customer compensation and grants the water regulator the power to ban bonuses for bosses of underperforming companies Mr van Mierlo said: “I welcome the attention on the issues but the government’s new bill is only a half measure at best its only window dressing and we will be eagerly anticipating the further measures that the government are promising they will deliver on.” Campaigners have questioned the regulator’s assessment of water companies’ performance saying it is contradictory to evidence of sewage spills increasing who is South Oxfordshire District Council’s “River Thames” champion reissued calls on the government to place the firm into special measures She said: “We’re stuck in a loop now of endless fines endless penalties against directors and it’s failing to deal with the root cause of the problem which is the reality that privatisation has been a scam and that this calamitous mistake needs to be reversed “Thames Water should be the first company to be put into special administration and that process can act as a fire break for government to properly review all the options which absolutely have to include public ownership which Labour has inexplicably decided to rule out.” Ms Robb said that the penalty will be made redundant by anticipated increases to water bills over the next five years Thames Water proposed a 60 per cent increase in water charges over the next five years proposing an increase of £94 for the period Cllr Robb said: “It’s clear that this fine is significant but it will be levied against Thames Water in the form of bill reductions for customers but this is happening at the same time that Thames Water is asking Ofwat for a 60 per cent increase in bills “We don’t believe that it will lead to improvement we believe that this is even more tinkering around the edges and it fails to go to the heart of the problem but it’s fundamentally failing to deal with the root cause of this problem which remains the profit motive which lies at the heart of the water industry.” which last month visited 80 MPs at the Houses of Parliament calling for a change to the governing structure of water companies issued a statement calling on the government to place the firm in special administration paying minor fines while proposing eye-watering bill hikes and promising yet again to do better The public is being told time and time again to send good money after bad and we’ve had enough.” She raised a question over the regulator’s assessment of Thames Waters’ performance citing its decision to upgrade Thames Water’s performance from “lagging” to “average” and upgrading their performance on pollution She said: “The data shows sewerage dumping in our area getting worse year on year said: ““This year’s performance report is stark evidence that money alone will not bring the sustained improvements that customers rightly expect It is clear that companies need to change and that has to start with addressing issues of culture and leadership.” A spokesman for Thames Water said: “We are pleased that Ofwat has recognised the improvements we’ve made by upgrading our rating This shows our turnaround plan is having a positive impact “We delivered our lowest ever annual leakage volume and recorded our best performance over the past five years for water quality “We recognise the work that remains to keep improving and get our performance where it needs to be That’s why we have proposed an ambitious business plan for 2025-2030 to allow us to make the vital investment required.” Text description provided by the architects. With a newly added volume including the Council Chamber, Reset architecture has reorganized the town hall of Geldrop- Mierlo (Dutch town next to Eindhoven). This transparent meeting centre communicates the public nature of the building and engages the citizens with the municipality. Internally, it is the core of the building complex where visitors, the council and civil servants come together.  © Stijn PoelstraExterior. Reset architecture detached the villa to emphasise its historic qualities and to create a clear entrance to the town hall. With this rearrangement a new spatial clarity arises in which the villa and the newly added volume together form the public entity, centrally placed between the two office wings. This unity is reflected in architecture.  © Stijn PoelstraInterior. The interior of the new bright meeting centre is open to the surroundings and connects to the green landscape with a beautiful view of the castle of Geldrop. The entire centre has an open and spacious appearance with meeting rooms on two floors and a lower, more intimate part, with the Council Chamber.  © Stijn PoelstraThe cohesion of the elegant space is enhanced by a continuous rhythm of columns in the four facades and all- round light through the glass facades. This carré of columns subtly positions the new space between the existing office wings outer walls. Spatially they appear to be load-bearing but are only a curtain wall construction.  © Stijn PoelstraThe lightweight superstructure is built upon existing columns and foundation. Reset architecture has proposed a T-shape remontable steel structure with a wooden floor and a steel roof. This clear construction scheme contributes to the logical embedding of the program in between the columns grid. The routing is located outside the columns and surrounded by the columns of the façades.  SectionOn the longitudinal side, a façade strip of oak slats has been installed to hide the connection with the office wings gutter. Maybe the oak provides a mental connection with the woods outside but surely it contributes to a warm atmosphere experience of the space, which furthermore consists of calm gray tones in its finishes.  The town hall is heated by low-temperature heating connected to air-to-water heat pumps. An additional VRF system further extends the ability to heat or cool the building. The air handling units for the ventilation of the building are fitted with heat recovery elements. Adaptive LED lighting has been used to further reduce the energy usage of the building which is to a large extent generated by PV panels.  © Stijn PoelstraSustainability is more than saving energy. The new construction is carried out in a light, mountable structure in line with a circular way of thinking. During construction, (demolition) parts are reused immediately or made available for reuse. The project makes a small, contribution to the biodiversity in the built environment. Bat and swallow boxes have been built into the north facade of the renewed gable ends.  © Stijn PoelstraFacade Detail.  The universal appearance of a curtain wall, as an addition to the building complex, has been gratefully used to clearly communicate the public function and inviting open character. Nevertheless, the curtain wall detailing is not standard, the system has been refined to ensure that the universal also matches its context. The design of the new building shows a far-reaching abstraction of the vertical articulation and corner pillars in the eclectic villa.   The curtain wall system is used all around as a light-footed but also the formal demarcation of the space The unique character and unity of space is evident by the continuous rhythm of the colonnade in the four facades a facade strip of oak slats has been applied with which the constructional connection with the existing office wings and its gutter is hidden from view The wooden slats come back in an acoustic variant in the balustrade of the mezzanine on the 2nd floor New World Makati Hotel announces the appointment of Marcel van Mierlo as the new general manager In conjunction with his role as Regional Vice President of the Rosewood Hotel Group van Mierlo will oversee the operations and management of the hotel with his extensive expertise in hospitality and food and beverage management van Mierlo brings with him more than three decades of experience in the industry from properties in China such as Shanghai van Mierlo was general manager of two properties: New World Shanghai Hotel and Pentahotel Shanghai he was general manager of Shangri-la Hotel Shenzen following his post as hotel manager of Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur He has held senior management positions for the Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel at the Hague; Kowloon Shangri-La and Island Shangri-La Hotels in Hong Kong as well as the Dorchester in London.Mr van Mierlo attended Cornell University in New York USA and Middelbare Hotelschool in the Netherlands Solar Power World By | February 8 Wafer production hopeful CubicPV announced that its Board of Directors has decided to halt the company’s U.S wafer manufacturing plans and focus instead on tandem module development including a collapse in wafer pricing and surge in construction costs as the reason behind its thwarted attempt at realizing domestic production Now the company is abandoning wafers altogether With the Board’s decision to restructure the company CubicPV will also reduce its workforce and eliminate positions tied to the U.S Frank van Mierlo will step down as CEO following a 16-year tenure at CubicPV’s helm will assume CEO responsibilities until a replacement is found we’ve concluded that the one thing that could truly make a difference in humanity’s fight against climate change and the U.S.’s ability to realize a solar manufacturing renaissance is to invent a better panel the Cubic team is fully dedicated to delivering this solution to the world I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and know there is more to come,” said Frank van Mierlo CubicPV will now focus entirely on its proprietary tandem technology using perovskite material “Cubic’s engineering acumen and robust IP portfolio create a solid foundation for growth SCG strongly believes that the Company’s tandem technology could be a solar breakthrough transforming the energy landscape,” said Tim McCaffery “I look forward to building on the team’s momentum.” Kelly Pickerel has over a decade of experience reporting on the U.S solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media Privacy Policy | RSS Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative We're working on a visual shortcode editor until then please follow these instructions Email us to support@plugin.builders for any problems Mark Oidtmann started as GM at HUP and sees his promotion as a great challenge: "HUP The unique concept of HUP was launched only 2 years ago and has already proven to be a great success Meetings and company outings are slightly different at HUP Because where is there a ball pit or ping pong conference table in a meeting room we have more to do than can be planned in one weekend Dutch Grand Prix rider Danielle van Mierlo injured herself in an accident while loading her Grand Prix horse Dayano on the trailer "I had just had a lesson at Patrick van der Meer's and it went wrong with the loading," Van Mierlo told Eurodressage The 31-year old Van Mierlo got stuck between the ramp and the wall of the trailer and fell He reversed and I landed underneath him and he stepped on my leg," Danielle explained She went to the hospital for medical care and was diagnosed with a fractured fibula "In the end it turned out I had a fractured fibula," said Van Mierlo "I can't move my arm and my foot and ankle are painful but fortunately there are no other fractured bones there She went back to riding a week after giving birth Her coach Patrick van der Meer had been working Dayano for four weeks "I was afraid I would need a cast of my entire leg for six weeks at least that's what they predicted initially," Van Mierlo continued "But after carefully looking at the X-rays and knowing that I have to take care of an 8-week old baby there is no cast and I have to go back for a check-up in two weeks." in 2019 Danielle had been competing her now 12-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Dayano (by Jazz x Kasparow) at international Grand level with season starts in Kronenberg Photo © Digishots Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot Dutch Grand Prix rider Danielle van Mierlo has lost the number one Grand Prix horse in her barn The gelding suddenly passed away on 3 December from cardiac arrest Dayano was a 12-year old Dutch warmblood gelding by Jazz out of Urike (by Kasparow) The now 31-year old Danielle van Mierlo trained the horse from novice to Grand Prix The pair first achieved successes in the 2012 VSN Trophy Finals in which they became reserve champions In 2013 they rode the Pavo Cup Finals and finished 10th The same year they also competed in the 2013 Horsefood Dressage Talent Competition and finished third In 2016 they won the bronze medal at the Dutch Dressage Championships in the  ZZ-Zwaar division The pair made its international show debut at small tour level in 2017 at the CDI Nieuw en St Joosland where they posted three seventy percentage scores They are showed in Roosendaal two months later In 2018 the pair did not appear at international shows in 2019 Danielle and Dayano made their international Grand level debut at the CDI Kronenberg They also campaigned at the CDI's in Geesteren Danielle and DayanoIn March 2020 Van Mierlo gave birth to her first child and returned to the saddle a week after the delivery the rider fractured her fibula in a trailer accident with Dayano knocked over Danielle and stepped on her leg Van Mierlo and Dayano were preparing for the CDI come back The horse died suddenly on 3 December from cardiac arrest my entire future is gone," said Van Mierlo When I rode the other horses I was already thinking of how I would train Dayano He was my motivation to reach the top again." Photos © Digishots By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Along with his Pop Trading Company collaboration in-demand Dutch artist Rop van Mierlo has found time to join forces with emerging creative imprint Wild Animals for a collection of accessories van Mierlo’s signature wet-on-wet style informs a series of “Tiger Merch,” emblazoning warm abstract hues across a dozen home goods and wearables van Mierlo’s previous creations range from HEAD PORTER bags to exclusive artwork for luxury labels like Marni and Hermès but no single project is quite as diverse as this Wild Animals project Illustrative splashes of color grace home goods like duvet covers sweaters and tees printed with a tiger or two accompanied by two sets of pajamas to encourage cozy at-home activities amidst the other patterned items The collection spans children's and baby sizes and is defined by contemporary designs from t-shirts jumpers and shorts to versatile dresses with lace-up details and wrap-around skirts There is no shortage of colorful swimwear and accessories such as hats and bags Known for his unconventional style and techniques of painting with water on wet paper Van Mierlo says the new collection allows him to present his work to a wider audience in a more accessible way as well as new artwork with hand-painted lines and prints reminiscent of batik and paisley patterns Organic cotton T-shirts with wild animal prints are a real magnet for the eyes while zebra and jaguar prints adorn swimwear and hats Two sets of terry shorts and sweaters stand out with a bold print linked to the batik technique head of childrenswear design and creative at H&M is impressed by van Mierl's pictures of animals "We hope these pieces will encourage a spirit of adventure and artistic experimentation in our younger customers," says Löfstedt The collection is an opportunity for children to wear art and express their unique style through it Rop van Mierlo is a Dutch graphic designer and artist who lives and works in Amsterdam He started his series of paintings 'Wild Animals' as part of his graduation thesis at the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2008 he has been using the technique of painting on wet paper which gives his paintings a soft and dreamy look From 2004 we research urban trends and inform our community of followers about the latest in lifestyle From year 2023 we offer content in major global languages From 2004 we research urban trends and inform our community of followers daily about the latest in lifestyle style and products that inspire with passion we offer content in major global languages Issues with signing in? Click here Need help signing in? The Hague-based asset manager is partnering with traditional lenders as it targets medium-term growth of its property debt platform to up to €10bn PERE Seoul Forum PERE Tokyo Forum PERE Europe Forum 10 - 11 June 2025London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square London PERE America Forum PERE Asia Summit View all events > Your email address is already registered with us. Click here to receive a verification link and login. Don't have an account? Click here to register Please check your spam or junk folder just in case Seok-Woo Song — Photos exploring the pressures and loneliness of life in Korea Federico Borella & Michela Balboni — Photographing rural Italy’s “tree men” AikBeng Chia — Recreating vivid scenes from 1970s Singapore with the help of AI WePresent is the arts platform of WeTransfer.The simplest way to send big files A platform to empower creatives while using business as a force for good The playful and peculiar creatures in Amsterdam-based artist Rop van Mierlo’s work – ranging from paintings to mohair wall hangings hand-tufted wool rugs and trippy animations – have a life of their own as he graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven the artist was fascinated by the urge of modern man to restrain the natural world He wanted to create wild animals that couldn’t be controlled his work is less about the animals and more about a free-spirited process Rop was taught his now signature wet-on-wet technique at a Waldorf School – a type of educational facility that values its pupils' imagination and creativity over their performance in standardized testing – but he struggled to get to grips with it at first but at the age of seven I was introduced to this wet style of painting and I was.. Even now a new piece sometimes needs a little time before the artist can see its full potential but at first I didn’t like how it turned out Then I stumbled upon it a few weeks later and all of a sudden it just clicked,” he says On first glance the elephant might look like a giant grey blob but on closer inspection its gaze is focused and it appears to be sprinting “As an illustrator you’re often trying to capture your subject in a neat way but I always tried to imagine the animals to be out of my control,” he says Wet-on-wet painting fit this idea perfectly: liquid watercolors running freely over a painting board wetted with a sponge made up of a collection of his kind and cuddly creatures “What’s changed over the years is that I accept a little more intervention and experimentation I have tried different angles to make the animals seem more three-dimensional but in the end I always prefer them looking quite flat and people can still just guess the animal in a fraction of a second,” he says It’s mostly children who instantly get it right “Adults have more of a tendency to overthink the more we’re inclined to think in boxes.” While the original paintings appear to be large-scale “I don’t like to have too much control over the finer details,” he explains self-critique and letting go in Rop’s work a fuzzy feline that is also one of his favorites was made free from constraint in a single take I paint multiple versions of the same animal and pick one,” he says Rop’s work garnered a massive public response when he self-initiated a poster campaign for Partij voor de Dieren (PvdD Party for the Animals,) a left-wing political party that advocates for animal rights “With the polls showing right-wing parties on top He wasn’t exactly a long-time PvdD-loyalist “And putting the climate crisis firmly on the agenda was in dire need,” he says The artist’s team handed out hundreds of animal posters with his own spin on the PvdD logo “Some people wanted to hang posters all over the city others got a print for their child’s bedroom,” he says One thing that’s clear about Rop’s work is that he doesn’t take things too seriously or a subconscious conviction to let loose and stop trying to make sense of everything out there in the world to reconnect with our wild instincts within Want (even) more WePresent?Sign up to our monthly newsletter who has died aged 78 after a pro-tracted illness was one of the most charismatic figures in 20th-century Dutch and European politics When he burst into the public consciousness in 1966 by launching a new party – Democrats 66 (D66) – it was like a blast of fresh air in the stultified atmosphere of the Hague He offered a new vision and a fresh approach to politics which led some commentators to describe him as "the Dutch Kennedy" Unlike the former US president John F Kennedy he never achieved the highest public office and indeed both his career and the fortunes of his party would prove to be something of a rollercoaster ride Born the second of nine children into an affluent, devoutly Roman Catholic banking family in Breda, southern Netherlands he was christened with the awesomely resonant names Henricus Antonus Franciscus Maria Oliva a mouthful that was quickly truncated to the nickname "Hafmo" He attended three Catholic primary and middle schools before entering the prestigious Saint Canisius College in Nijmegen After a year of military service in 1951-52 he took up a place at the Catholic University of Nijmegen although he had just declared himself an atheist and he spent the rest of that decade reading law Hans took advantage of the new freedom to travel that had become available in post-second world war western Europe to get to know France and its culture intimately even writing occasional columns for a Perpignan newspaper He realised that he was temperamentally far more suited to the world of letters than he was to the law courts so on graduation he joined the Algemeen Handelsblad newspaper in Amsterdam he became involved in various cultural activities A holder of the Thorbecke prize for elocution he chaired a televised Dutch-language dictation competition and sat on various cultural boards culminating in his chairmanship of the Netherlands Ballet Orchestra in 1999 Hans was drawn into politics largely out of frustration at what he saw as the inadequacies of the traditional Dutch parties in the turbulent mid-1960s when the Provos counter-culture movement was at its height The D66 was initially not so much a party as a movement without clear policies This led to Hans and six colleagues being elected to the House of Representatives in 1967 The hoped-for breakthrough to become a senior party in government never quite happened D66 would be condemned to be a minor party in various coalition combinations its reputation often suffering as a result When forced to choose which party to back on the first such occasion Hans unwisely declared: "If I had a gun at my chest I'd opt for Labour." The party did indeed opt for Labour though less than a decade later he was back in that position In 1981 he had a short term as defence minister in a grand coalition of traditional parties The anti-establishment D66 appeared to have become part of the establishment Hans nurtured D66 through to a second flowering in the 1990s for example causing a diplomatic rift with Turkey by allowing a gathering of the Kurdish parliament in exile to take place in 1995 he also infuriated the Chinese by highlighting human rights while on an official visit to Beijing equality and a passionate belief in the European project were all central to his political philosophy When the Netherlands held the EU presidency in the first half of 1997 he insisted to the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the need to combat terrorism in return for economic aid being granted the honorific title of minister of state but he was delighted to be appointed a Dutch government representative to the EU convention charged with the task of drawing up the ill-fated European constitution in 2002 made necessary because he had contracted hepatitis C from an infected blood transfusion many years before Hans married three times and was twice divorced He spent his last decade with a partner 24 years his junior the novelist Aldegonda "Connie" Palmen by which time it was clear that the end was near Henricus Antonus Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo CASERTA – Dutch swimmer Jasper Van Mierlo feels he has been forced to retire from competitive swimming at 24 years old stuck between the pressures of earning enough money to afford to train in Italy and the inability to return to the Netherlands because of his international training In an interview with Italian news website swimbiz.it Van Mierlo says he has been unable to pay the costs associated with training with Andrea Di Nino’s professional squad in Italy He noted that no other options for a training location currently exist and that the Dutch swimming federation will not allow him to train in his home country with the national team because he decided to leave Holland for Di Nino’s team “It was also impossible to find another professional team in a short period of time and so close to Rio 2016,” Van Mierlo said Van Mierlo was a three-time Dutch national champion in the 50 freestyle He moved to Italy with the goal of not only making his first Olympic team but swimming in the 50 free final in Rio de Janeiro “My ultimate dream takes 21 seconds into the final of the 50 meters freestyle at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016,” he wrote on his website “Nothing represents such a huge adrenaline rush as the 50-meter freestyle But there is a glimmer of hope for Van Mierlo He said he’s entertaining the thought of emulating Arkady Vyatchanin’s plan to represent another country in Rio He says representing Italy in the pool is a possibility he’ll always hold a soft spot for the country he’s lived in for nearly two years “Italy made me a better person in several aspects,” he told swimbiz.it “First it made me a better swimmer both mentally and physically But I also learned to have a better dolphin kick – and as a man – also made me stronger mentally I’ve met wonderful people who I learned from a lot I will defenitely come back to Italy one day maybe for swimming or maybe just for a holiday I have had an amazing time in my swimming career.” Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use We have some good Post-Grad / Pro training groups here in the US…just saying In the previous six months my life has carried out a 360 ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " I knew nothing about Tennessee’s capital — now it is a place that I adore and a place that I call home This is a city that has been fortunate to have an economic boom and it is important that Nashville’s next mayor is someone whom residents can trust to push for progressive policies that help everyone in this county At-large Metro Councilman John Cooper is not that person Cooper is not the person we should trust with our traffic problem He promises to propose a new transit plan in his first year which is impossible in such a short time frame The last transit plan took years of conducting research studying funding options and taking neighborhood opinions to form a comprehensive transit solution for Nashville so the claim that all of that could be condensed into one year is frankly unbelievable and Cooper is forming the roots of his campaign around promises he can’t fulfill Despite multiple attempts to obtain a more detailed answer on how he would achieve this promise Cooper’s campaign refuses to provide one Nashville’s LGBTQ community can’t trust Cooper to fight for their rights. He has not openly supported the LGBTQ community except for when it was politically convenient, and it’s telling that he was snubbed in Out & About Nashville’s endorsements It is impossible to find a substantive record of Cooper standing up for Nashville’s LGBTQ residents just one example of minority groups being pushed aside until he needed their votes Not only is Nashville’s current sales tax rate one of the highest in the country but a sales tax increase is regressive since those with the lowest income pay just as much as those with the highest income Cooper can’t be trusted to lead Nashville forward into a progressive future, and it seems ironic that in an election framed by a clash between residents and developers, Nashville might go and elect a developer. This election may just determine Nashville’s future, and turning to a millionaire Williamson County developer is certain to seal our identity as a city that ignores its residents. Noah van Mierlo is a Dutch-American progressive political operative and recent graduate of Vanderbilt University. He has been heavily involved in Nashville politics for the past four years, and you can find him defending the Let’s Move Nashville plan on Twitter @NoahvanMierlo. Text description provided by the architects. Transformation office building Schubertsingel Den Bosch. Diagonally opposite the county hall in Den Bosch stood the former Rijkswaterstaat office building (1977). It was built in a brutalist, no-nonsense concrete architecture, but placed within the neighbourhood with surprising sensitivity and modesty, as if it were a guest. Yet it is here to stay. The character of this building, with its strikingly heavy construction, projections and special concrete details, was reason enough to redevelop it in a sustainable way. From an urban development perspective, it was also important not to add any (new build) volumes to this location. The main question was how this building, which was socially isolated within the area, could be transformed into a building that was no longer a guest, but an integral part of the neighbourhood. © René de WitBased on its powerful appearance and ‘landing’ in the neighbourhood, the existing building particularly needed more contact with its surroundings. This objective has been realised in several ways; the programmatic connection with the environment has been taken into account, as well as ways of opening up the building and bringing the surrounding landscape inside. © René de WitThe existing (mostly hidden) unique construction components of the building have been stripped of their camouflage. The brutalist concrete construction has been unpacked and made visible from both the exterior and interior. When entering or exiting the residential building, you even literally walk under it and can almost touch it. SectionThe rhythm of the original construction has been made visible in the façade composition through the hybrid grid, immediately behind which is the balcony or residence. The position of a balcony, or more living space, is in line with the orientation of the sun and the desired programme. This façade grid, completed in glass, has also ensured that it is possible to realise a residential programme in this location that is challenging in terms of noise. © René de WitThe two-layered addition has loaded and intensified the place and the building so that the desired programme could be realised A smart weight reduction in the existing building on the first and an overcapacity in the foundations has meant that the building could be extended by not just one but two layers without needing constructive alterations to the existing foundations but also the urban/architectonic composition The playful and peculiar creatures Rop van Mierlo creates are just as at home on the walls of Amsterdam as they are campaigning for a political party the Dutch artist is most well-known for his wet-on-wet paintings where carefully prepared drawings are submerged in water causing the colors and outlines to blend and blur almost child-like visuals which are recognizable as simple two-dimensional animals—from pandas and tigers to whales and donkeys Over the years Rop has created wall hangings and even self-initiated a poster campaign for Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the Animals) a left-wing political party with a sustainable ethos but the common message in whatever he does seems to be one of reconnecting with our animal within Want (even) more WePresent?Sign up to our monthly newsletter.