Week after heavy fire above fietscafé of sister Sven Nys: Forced throughout the summer, close

Herselt For owner Marc Swinkels of fietscafé Behind the Weyreldt in Herselt is still waiting to see what the future brings after the heavy fire that destroyed the upper floor of his case in the axis is explained. When his case will again be able to open, is still unclear. “But I fear that the summer has already past before the renovations.”

Last Saturday mornings and broke up the fire in the old farm Behind the World, on the ground floor under the fietscafé Behind the Weyreldt houses. Where and how the fire is properly created, is still unclear. The owner of the farm is Britt Nys, the sister of former cyclocross rider Sven Nys. At the time of the fire she lived with her children on the upper floor, while the café on Marc Swinkels and his wife Anita Horemans rented. Britt and her children have in the meantime a temporary shelter. In a side wing of the building, there was a place to stay for cyclists, which safeguarded remained of the fire.

Coffee grounds look

Marc Swinkels was at the time of the fire in his case. “The father of Britt was the case and said, ‘grab your money and all what you can, because the flames save already through the roof’. Since it is not good weather, there were not many customers present. Once outside, you stand there hopelessly watching that fire,” testified Marc. What to do with his case, is still just guess work.

“We have little to no fire damage, a lot of water damage. The roof is gone, so when it rains, it seeps water through the ceiling. Also, there were pieces of the ceiling is clipped so there is what fell down. What to do with the building going to happen, the future will tell. We have that if tenant is not in the hand. Perhaps it will be another 3 to 4 weeks before a decision is taken, after the damage is measured and schattingsverslagen and such are formatted.”

Or the farm yet rebuilt can be, is still unclear. If we would succeed, it is still the question of when the fietscafé again can open. “It is now march. I fear that the summer has already passed for the renovations. And if fietscafé we must have of the summer months. If it is not too long, then we would certainly go to re-open it. If that will take too long, we may need something else to search. What that may be? I don't know yet. We're not going to hasty decisions.”

No lucky number

Marc and his wife Anita ran excavations first nine years of a deli in Herselt. Two years they took Behind the Weyreldt about. “We are officially opened on Friday 13 January 2017. Ultimately that is still not a lucky number. It's a nice thing that we have many great customers have come to know. Our mainly is to help our clients to enjoy a heavier beer or a coffee while they read the newspaper. Therein we differ from the village pub, because here you sit in the middle of nature. There are many people here that this is very sad. Also a lot of older people, which is what they were solitary and came here for a chat, are now their permanent home will be lost.”