Celebrating 20 years of the NTAB

We expect all our members and associate members to be present in great numbers for this festive celebration.

Representatives of other organizations involved in heritage conservation in Belgium have already been invited to join us too: don’t we all belong to the same family of people committed to and engaged in the preservation of our heritage?

Mr. Justin Albert, NT Director for Wales, will be present to represent the National Trust headquarters. Supporter Groups from Southern England have also been invited, as well as the British Embassy in Brussels.

Celebrations will start at 3 o’clock with a seated session at the Château, when our Chairman, Jan Grauls, and Mr Albert, as representative of the NT headquarters, will take the floor. From 4 until 5 o’clock there will be a guided tour of the Château – the place by the way where the negotiations leading to the original Treaties of Rome took place -, followed by a walk in the surrounding park. A drink at about 5 o’clock will close the celebrations.

NTAB was started 20 years ago, on the initiative of Tom Burr, an NT staff member (Association’s Liaison Secretary). Having noted the high number of NT members living in Belgium, Tom suggested the creation of a supporters’ group here. Dozens of NT members in Belgium enthusiastically took up the idea, formed a Steering Committee and elected Max Osterrieth, an Antwerp banker and devoted NT member, as their first Chairman.The NTAB was born. The idea was clear: keep alive the link between NT members living in Belgium and the parent organization.

This was in 1997.

On 21^st October we have the opportunity to recall this achievement in the presence of some of our “founding fathers”. Their extraordinary enthusiasm and commitment from these early days of our organization explain the immediate success of NTAB.

Over the last 20 years the NTAB has remained firm on its founding principles: keeping alive the link of Belgium-based NT members with the parent organization in England, and promoting in Belgium the spirit of the National Trust, and particularly the heritage idea. We honestly think that NTAB has succeeded on both fronts.

Limited car parking within the domain.

Advance registration required

Please register members & guests with full names, preferably by email (collinsjudith38@gmail.com), otherwise by returning the reply card to Mrs Judith Collins, Rue Washington 50, 1050-Brussels.

For security reasons, please bring the invitation card as well as your ID(s) with you.

By car: Ring Brussels R0, exit 1-Tervuren/Vier Armen/Quatre Bras in the direction of N3-Brussel. Continue N3 Tervurenlaan (some 3,3km) - Turn left into R22 Vorstlaan/Bd du Souverain – continue on R22 (1,3km) > at roundabout, turn to get on the right side of R22 > 350m to arrival. Public transport: From Central Station take metro 5 direction Herrmann-Debroux (15'). From Herrmann-Debroux walk to tram stop, situated Bd du Souverain 55 (2'). Take tram 94 direction Tram Museum. Leave at Rond-Point du Souverain (2'). Walk to 259, Boulevard du Souverain (5').