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Contact us if you want the BBCA to post a News Story or an Event that is strongly linked to the British Community in Brussels.  We reserve the right to select items for publication and to edit items as required for style and space.

Email    BBCA.NewsAndEvents@gmail.com


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

  • 25 Sep 2024 4:08 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    On Saturday 12 October the Brussels Evensong Choir will be performing at Holy Trinity, 29 Rue Capitaine Crespel, 1050 Brussels from 17h00. The choir will be conducted by Margaret Scott and the organist is Nils Engstrom.


    The hour-long programme of choral music will consist of four pieces:

    • Introit – Locus Iste - Bruckner
    • Preces and Responses – Smith
    • Evening canticles in C – Stanford
    • Anthem – When David Heard – Tomkins
  • 23 Sep 2024 4:10 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    A date for your dancin’ diary – The Crawlin’ Kingsnakes will be playing ‘live’ at The Wild Geese pub on Saturday 5 October and admission is free.


    The Crawlin' Kingsnakes are: Akis Meimaridis on lead vocals, Dimitri Giotakos playing piano and  keyboards, Eric Godart on lead guitar, Malcolm Parry supplying harmonica, slide guitar and backing vocals, Max Dedecker on bass, and Charlie White 'thumping the tubs' on drums.

    The Crawlin' Kingsnakes draw their inspiration from a wide range of Rhythm and Blues stars from Elmore James and John Lee Hooker to the Animals and the Doors. Rock is an important element in their music and they certainly know how to insert it in their playlist without betraying their R ‘n B orientation.

    See you there? The Wild Geese is situated on Avenue Livingstone 2-4, 1000 Brussels.

  • 19 Sep 2024 6:15 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    Are you a (relatively) fit UK expat? Do/ did you have ambitions to play international football? If you can answer yes to both those questions Tom Denney, manager of UKFC, is interested to hear from you.

    UKFC is an 11-a-side football team of UK expats playing in the Brussels Euroleague that consists of over a dozen international teams. All the league matches take place in or around the Brussels region throughout the week in the evenings or at weekends.

    Tom is looking for new players in all positions to strengthen the UK team squad for the 2024/25 season. The UK team organises its fixtures through whatsapp and email.

    If you are looking to revitalise your international football career then get in touch with Tom by email or message him on +32 472 64 20 99.

    Your country needs you!

  • 12 Sep 2024 12:49 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    On Saturday 21 September St Paul’s church in Tervuren is organising a ‘More than British Breakfast’ event from 09h00 at the De Foyer café Warandepoort in Tervuren. In a relaxed environment you can get to meet people and chat together over an informal breakfast. The event will also hear from a couple of influential people speaking about their work and leadership in a multi-cultural environment.


    The speakers at the breakfast event will be Chloe Louter, Chargée d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Brussels, and Dr Paul Vrolijk a Thinking Partner, Mentor, and Life-Coach.

    This event is happening at De Foyer café Warandepoort, Markt 7B, Tervuren and parking is available either in Tervuren Park or on the marketplace close by.

    Tickets for the breakfast are on sale now and cost €15. To register and purchase tickets, follow this link.

    About St Paul’s

    St Paul’s has recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and is located in the commune of Tervuren on the eastern outskirts of Brussels. The congregation is a mixture of international families and Belgian nationals. With our many diverse cultural backgrounds and Christian affiliations, the church works to support a multi-generational and loving Christian community.

    Sunday mornings are the church’s main gathering with informal worship, in-depth Biblical teaching and programmes for children and youth running simultaneously. On weekdays, smaller groups play a really important part in helping people grow in their faith and share and pray with each other. Other courses are also available for those who want to explore faith for the first time or want a place where they can come with questions and ask whatever they wish.

  • 29 Aug 2024 11:54 AM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    It is not just Brussels, but the whole of Belgium, that is preparing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi occupation during World War Two with festivities, ceremonies and tributes across the country.

    Just three months after the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day and five long years after the UK and France declared war on Nazi Germany, the Allied forces started the liberation of Belgium in September 1944 with Mons being the first Belgian city to be liberated on 2 September, swiftly followed by Brussels and Antwerp.

    You can find information about liberation celebrations in Brussels here and The Bulletin has a comprehensive list of the commemorations happening around the country here.

  • 29 Aug 2024 11:09 AM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    The Brussels Women's Club (BWC) is kicking off its 2024-25 programme with an Open Day on Thursday 12 September from 10h00 to 13h00. The BWC is the largest English-speaking women's club in Belgium with a membership that includes over 25 different nationalities – all are welcome!

    Whether you’re a newcomer to Belgium or have lived here for years, if you're interested in expanding your social life, learning a new skill, or staying fit, the Open Day is your opportunity to see what's on offer with the BWC.

    Find more information on the Open Day here.

    BWC Mega-Brocante

    Pick up a bargain at the Mega-Brocante at the BWC on Saturday 29 September from 10h00 to 14h00! If you are looking for a something really unique and unusual, either for yourself or for someone special, then make sure to come along. In addition to the usual brocante items, you’ll find hand-made jewellery, home-made cakes, marmalades and jams, and lots more. And while you’re browsing, enjoy the BWC’s Non-Stop Café goodies.

    Find more information on the BWC Mega-Brocante here.


  • 26 Aug 2024 11:48 AM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    In mid-September (13 - 15 September, 2024) the small Limburg town of Bilzen, roughly halfway between Hasselt and Maastricht, will be hosting the 37th Scottish Weekend (Schotsweekend): a three-day festival celebrating all things Hibernian including music, dance, food and drink, and much more. So, dust off your kilt and get down there!


    The first Scottish event, a one-day pipe band competition, was organised in 1986 by a few enthusiasts in Genk. This was a great success attracting some 17 bands to participate.

    Over the years the event often moved location but found its current base in Bilzen in 1994. And the programme has greatly expanded too. From the initial pipe band competition, a solo competition was added and then Highland Games and Highland Dancing. The concept of a full Scottish Weekend was born in 1989.

    With the addition of folk performances, the Scottish market, children's activities and much more the Scottish Weekend is a family-friendly, atmospheric festival celebrating Celtic culture and enjoyed by young and old!

    Every year someone is elected as 'chieftain' of the festival and becomes ‘clan leader’ for the year. In 2023 the Clan Chief was Martin Shearman, recently departed British Ambassador to Belgium. Who will be the Chief in 2024?

    Only one way to find out – head to Bilzen for a cracking weekend in September!

    More details about the event and programme can be found here.

  • 21 Aug 2024 4:36 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    After many delays the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is formally scheduled to launch on 10 November 2024 according to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson with a ‘last resort’ back-up date of 17 November. The system was originally planned to launch in 2021.


    The EES will replace stamps in physical passports by digitally registering the data of non-EU citizens whenever they enter and exit external Schengen borders, to ensure they don’t stay in the Schengen area for more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Travelers will be required to submit fingerprint and face biometrics on their first crossing; subsequent EES crossings will only require a passport scan at a self-serve kiosk to match the ID document against enrolled biometric data.

    However, travellers with certain EU identity documents, will be exempt from the biometrics requirement. In France, for example, qualifying documents include all forms of Withdrawal Agreement residency permits, such as temporary, five-year, ten-year, and permanent residence permits. Other valid residency permits issued by France or any other EU member state will also ensure exemption from EES.

    UK nationals who retain rights under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement will be exempt from EES registration, provided they carry the correct documentation. A list of those exempt from application of the EES can be found here.

    The EES will require travellers arriving from non-EU countries who do not require a visa, including the UK and the U.S., to register each time before they cross the Schengen border.

    And then ETIAS

    Johansson also noted the forthcoming launch of the associated European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which is set to go live in 2025. This will require visitors from 60 visa free countries to apply for authorisation ahead of travel to 29 European nations for a fee of € 7.

  • 21 Aug 2024 2:59 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    On Sunday 3 September 1944, shortly before 20h00, the British Second Army, led by a Welsh Guards’ tank squadron, entered Brussels via Avenue de Tervuren. They successfully engaged the enemy near Parc du Cinquantenaire and Avenue des Arts. On 4 September, the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Free Belgian Forces, known as the Brigade Piron after its commander, joined forces with the Guards Armoured Division to complete the city's liberation, amid scenes of huge jubilation.


    This year the 80th anniversary of the liberation will be marked on Tuesday 3 September with a range of activities in the Grand Place/ Grote Markt from 11h00 to 20h00 including a concert by the Welsh Guards and a vintage military vehicle exhibition.

    Earlier in the day a parade with the Band of the Welsh Guards will take place to mark the 80th Anniversary. The procession will leave the Place de la Liberté at 9h30 followed by a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at 10h00. The parade will then march to the British Monument in Rue de la Régence (10h45), continue to the Manneken Pis (11h15) and arrive at the Hôtel de Ville in Grand Place/ Grote Markt for 11h30.

  • 20 Aug 2024 3:55 PM | Tim Reynolds (Administrator)

    On the morning of Monday 9 September 204 the International Study Group (ISG) kicks off its Autumn programme with a talk from Jacob Werksman of the European Commission’s DG for Climate Action. Jacob’s talk will focus on the international dimensions of EU climate policy, including the Paris Agreement negotiations and the way in which EU climate policies can affect trade and investment flows globally.


    The next European Commission will need to defend continued EU leadership on climate change with strategies and policies that ensure the EU can compete and prosper while also transitioning to net zero emissions.

    Mr. Werksman will also focus on the legal dimensions of the EU's responsibilities to prevent dangerous climate change under human rights law, which are relevant to the ethical issues of climate change. This issue is now before the International Court of Justice in the form of a request for an advisory opinion.

    Since 2012, Jacob Werksman has served as Principal Adviser to the Commission’s DG for Climate Action, where his work concentrates on the international aspects of European climate policy.

    What, where and when

    The talk will take place on Monday, 9 September 2024 at the Château Malou, Avenue Pierre Levie 2, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. There is free parking around the Château and the closest public transport is Tram 8 (Stop Voot) or Bus 28 (Stops Deportés or Parc Malou).

    The event will start with a welcome coffee from 10h00 with the talk starting at 10h30. The talk is free for ISG members and guests are welcome for a fee of €10, payable on the door.

    For more information on the International Study Group (ISG) visit their website or Facebook page.

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