News and Events -----------

Cornish pasties are the iconic delicacy famously fashioned by those true Brits that live to the west of the River Tamar in the UK. Possibly one of the most famous foods to come out of the south of England, the Cornish have understandable pride in this tasty hand-held ‘all-in-one’ meal.

Now, thanks to a dedicated BBCA team of pasty producers led by BBCA committee member Simon Pascoe (a true son of Kernow), Pascoe’s Perfect Pasties will be on offer at our Stonemanor BBCA event on 12 May at the Stonemanor Everberg store.

Just 120 pasties have been hand crafted by the team over two days of intense effort.

The first day saw the pasty team make and portion the buttery pastry.

While day two was pasty production day with the preparation of the mix of tender peppery chunks of beef and melt-in-your-mouth vegetables, all wrapped and crimped within the pastry crust. The results have been officially described as “’andsome”.

Huge thanks to Simon for the ins’pie’ration and the BBCA committee volunteers who gave of their time and ‘elbow grease’ to produce the pasties.

Simons said: “It was a great team effort to get the 120 pasties done! And I’d like to also thank Jason from the Expatriate Bistro for the loan of his kitchen, Ryan at Stonemanor, and, of course, Julia at Wesley’s Irish Butchers in town for the generous donation of prime beef.”

We are anticipating a good crowd for the Stonemanor event on 12 May. But if you want to sample one of Pascoe’s Perfect Pasties – you better not get there too late: there are just 120 of these delicacies and when they are gone, they are gone! Cheers!

Pasties past

The Cornish pasty goes back hundreds of years, but they’re most commonly known to have been a staple food of the working classes going back to the 1700s. Cornish tin miners used to take the pasties into the mines for a nutritious meal that would keep them going all day.

The specific shape of the pasty was developed for a practical reason. The crimped crust on the side allowed the grubby miner to grasp the pasty. Levels of toxic arsenic in the tin mines meant that the miners needed to avoid ingesting any dirt. The crimp meant the miner could hold onto the crust, eat their pasty, and then discard the crimp.

Of course, today, we can eat the crimp too!

As noted in previous posts there are a lot of elections happening in 2024 – and long-term UK expats have had the vote returned to them. Some news updates on voting at home and away have recently come in.

Resources for UK voters

The UK Embassy in Belgium has issued a briefing on British citizens overseas and how they can vote in UK parliamentary elections.

As we reported earlier new legislation is now in force which means that since 16 January, British citizens can now register to vote in UK Parliamentary elections, no matter how long ago they left the UK. This right to vote includes UK Parliament general elections, by-elections and recall petitions. Previously, only British citizens who had been registered in the UK within the past 15 years were eligible to vote.

This is a key Government policy which changes the franchise for British citizens overseas and is an important part of upholding democracy.

The body leading on communicating this change is the UK’s Electoral Commission. They have developed a variety of information resources that can be found here: Overseas voting: resources for British citizens overseas | Electoral Commission

Expat voting in Brussels to become easier?

The Brussels parliament has recently adopted a non-binding resolution that will make it easier for non-Belgians, who make up a third of the population in the Brussels region, to participate in local elections.

The resolution would allow expats to be automatically registered to vote at the same time as they register at their commune for the first time. The resolution would include harmonisation of information provided about elections, which currently differs between communes, monitoring of participation in elections, and retrospectively contacting those who don’t vote. The resolution also calls for expats to be allowed to vote in regional, not just local, elections.

Here is an explainer from our friends at Restless Brussels. However, the resolution is non-binding, and would have to be enacted by the new Brussels regional government following the elections this year.

On the evening of Tuesday 21 May 2024, the Community Health Service (CHS) is organising a talk on ‘Mental health in Adolescents’ with Bertha Figueras, Clinical Psychologist and Head of the Children and Young People’s team at CHS Brussels.

Bertha will share her experience and perspectives on confronting the challenges, as well as appreciating the joys of raising teenagers in the context of today’s world.

The talk (details below) will take place at 21-23 avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels and be be followed by a Q&A session. The talk will start at 18h00.

Registration is via this online form.

For more information on this and other CHS services and activities visit their website.

On Monday 13 May the International Study Group will be investigating the importance of female artists in the Surrealist movement in a talk in English by Isabel Vermote, art historian at the Bozar.

The Surrealist movement is often associated with male artists such as Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Rene Magritte. However, female artists such as Leonora Carrington and Jane Graverol, played a crucial role in shaping the development of Surrealism, both as artists and muses. They visualised the female psyche as it had not been seen before and opened a  new dialogue that gradually transformed the relationship between the genders.

The illustration above is ‘A Candle of Understanding in Thine Heart’ painted by Marion Adnams in 1964.

Where and when

The talk ‘More than Muses: The Importance of Female Artists in the Surrealist Movement’ will take place on Monday, 13 May 2024 with a welcome coffee from 10h00 and the talk staring at 10h30. The venue is Château Malou, Allée Pierre Levie 2, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and free parking is available around the Chateau and public transport is close by. The talk is free to ISG members. Guests and non-members should pay €10 on entry.

For more information visit: https://isgbrussels.be/ or email  info@isgbrussels.be

On Saturday 8 June from 14h00 to 17h00 a Garden Party is being held just outside Brussels, in Rhode-St-Genèse, as a fundraiser the Songani Hope and Wellness Centre in Malawi that offers testing and counselling for HIV patients. The Centre is run by the UK-based charity Mbedza and needs ongoing support.

The Garden Party will take place at the residence of the Malawian Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, Dr Naomi Ngwira, and will feature good food, drinks and live music, as well as games for children, whilst supporting a good cause.

More information and tickets for this event can be obtained here. 

If you are unable to attend the party but would like to donate to the charity there is a 'donate' button in the link above. If you would like to donate in euros, please contact the local organisers via Songaniparty@mbedza.org.

The trajectory of Franz Liszt resembles that of a hero from an epic tale that might have been written by his friend Victor Hugo. Both were men who embraced their century as much as they were enveloped by it. And Franz is the subject of the next International Study Group (ISG) talk on Monday 8 April.

After early beginnings as a child prodigy at the Vienna school of Schubert and Beethoven, young Liszt became the greatest piano virtuoso in Paris and, at the same time, one of the first stars in the contemporary sense of the term, combining success and scandal, celebrity, tumultuous loves, and incredible friendships. After an international tour of nearly eight years, he changed his life and transformed into a conductor, theatre director, promoter of the avant-garde, and composer of great symphonic works. He simultaneously developed a profoundly original aesthetic way of thinking about music.

Finally, propelled by his deep Catholic faith, he drew closer to the Pope, received minor orders, and composed masterpieces for the organ and religious music, while never forgetting to be a beloved professor recognized by his numerous students for his unwavering generosity. These are the main facets of this exceptional man, whom chance has made a genius, whose portrait will be painted in words, images, and music during this talk.

Our guide to Liszt’s life will be Hugo Rodriguez, the curator of the library of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. He has previously worked at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) and the Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM). He holds a doctorate in musicology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, where he teaches.

Where and when

The talk will take place on Monday, 8 April 2024 with a welcome coffee from 10h00 and the talk starting at 10h30. The venue is Château Malou, Allée Pierre Levie 2, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and free parking is available around the Chateau. Public transport is also close by: Tram 8, stop Voot; Bus 28, stop Deportés or Parc Malou (easier). The talk is free to ISG members. Guests and non-members should pay €10 on entry.

For more information visit: https://isgbrussels.be/

Our friends at British in Europe (BiE) have launched a survey to get  some feedback on how well (or not) voter registration has gone for UK citizens in Europe who wish to (re)claim their right to vote in UK elections following the recent law change in the UK.

So, if you applied to register to vote, how was it for you? The survey can be accessed here and should take only a couple of minutes to complete.

The results will be used to help BiE to identify how to better encourage people to register early and any specific issues that need to be highlighted with UK authorities.

2024 is a year full of elections around the world. And Belgium is no exception. On Sunday 9 June elections will be held for the Belgian regional and federal parliaments as well as the European Parliament. And in the Autumn, on 13 October the polls will be open for Belgian municipal representatives. The BBCA has put together a quick guide to the how, what and when for voting in Belgium in 2024.

Who can vote?

If you are a Belgian citizen, you will be automatically registered to participate in all the elections - and participation is (at least in theory) obligatory.

If you are an EU citizen living in Belgium, you have the right to vote in both the European and municipal elections - but you need to make sure you are registered in advance.

If you are a non-EU citizen (and that include all ‘Brexit Brits’) living in Belgium for at least 5 years, you have the right to vote in the municipal elections - but again you need to make sure you are registered in advance.

More information here: https://www.commissioner.brussels/en/i-am-an-expat/elections-2024  

Why vote?

If you are a Belgian citizen, then voting is seen as a duty and obligation of good citizenship. In theory you could be fined for not voting – although in practise this is a very rare outcome.

Government in Belgium has three levels: the federal level, the regional level (e.g. Brussels-Capital region), and the local commune/ gemeente local level.

The local level is important as it is the level at which citizens and residents have the most contact with government and has arguably the most impact on the day-to-day life of all citizens.

Your commune/ gemeente looks after your papers (e.g. Identity cards and passports, driving licences, births, deaths and marriages), social infrastructure and well-being (e.g. crèches, schools, homes for the elderly, social housing and a wide range of social services), public infrastructure (e.g. roads, sewers, lighting and cleaning/ rubbish collection) and your local public sports and leisure facilities.

Who’s who in the commune?

The maire or the bourgmestre is the boss at your commune/ gemeente! He or she must be a Belgian citizen. L'échevin / l'échevine or wethouder manages specific domains of activity such as planning and mobility. Together, the bourgmestre and all the échevins/ wetbouders compose the ‘Collège’. Along with the ‘Collège’, all the elected councillors compose the Conseil Communal.

Can I vote locally?

All Belgian citizens over 18 are obliged to vote in local elections. Citizens of the EU and third-country citizens (including the UK) can vote, but they are not obliged to vote.

To vote in municipal elections, foreign citizens (EU and non-EU) must first register to vote before 31 July 2024. For EU citizens all you need to register is your Belgian national identity number. For non-EU citizens, you will also need your Belgian national identity number but must also be able to prove that you have been resident in Belgium for five years or more.

To register either go to www.inscription.elections.fgov.be or go to your commune/ gemeente to complete a form.

Voting day – Sunday 13 October

Having registered you will receive a ‘convocation’ (an invitation to vote) with the address of your place to vote – the polling station. Polling stations will be open between 08h00 and 14h00 for paper voting and open to 16h00 if the polling station uses electronic voting, which is the case in Brussels.

More information

You can download a BBCA leaflet on the 2024 elections with more information and useful links here.

On Wednesday 17 April The Arts Society Brussels presents a fascinating illustrated talk on Indian Modern Art.

At the birth of Indian Independence in 1947, a group of talented and determined artists set out to create a new art for a new country. They drew on ancient artistic traditions but also had a radical view of how Indian art could speak to its audience. This movement known as the Bombay Progressives Artists' Group, created an art very much for and of its time - acting as witness to a country in turmoil and relating the fascinating story of transition and growth of the new India. This talk will explore how art in the subcontinent threw off the yoke of colonial influence to create modern masterpieces and a thriving global business.

Who, what where

The talk will be given by Georgina Bexon, an art historian specialising in South Asian art, on the evening of Wednesday 17 April in the conference room, Maison Communale of Woluwe Saint Lambert, Tomberg. Complimentary drinks from 19h30 with the talk beginning at 20h00.

More information here: https://theartssociety.org/events/story-indian-modern-art

On the evening of Thursday 14 March 2024 discover the untold story of the Brontës in Brussels with Helen MacEwan, author of The Brontës in Brussels and founder of the Brussels Brontë Group!

You can delve into a hidden chapter of literary history at a free exclusive webinar hosted by the Brussels City Museum from 18h30.

Helen will unravel the captivating tale of Charlotte and Emily Brontë’s residence in Brussels from their transformative experiences at the Pensionnat Heger to the echoes of their love and longing in the heart of Brussels illuminating the profound impact of this enchanting city on Charlotte’s life and work.

More information and registration here: https://www.brusselscitymuseum.brussels/en/evenement/history-on-thursday-the-brontes-in-brussels