Neighbours' party for thousands of Brussels residents

NEIGHBOURS' PARTY for thousands of Brussels residents BRUSSELS — With a reception for his neighbours at the town hall, Brussels mayor Freddy Thielemans last night fired the starting shot for 'Feest in het Gebouw', the Brussels neighbours' party. The aim: get to know your neighbours in the anonymous big city. Several thousand Brussels residents visited each other for an aperitif. Neighbourhood parties were organised across the 19 Brussels municipalities. "I always wanted to invite the people from the street," says Veerle Vercauteren from Diksmuidelaan. "But without an occasion that is odd. This is a wonderful excuse. (laughs)" In a snack bar near the Klein Kasteeltje about a hundred local residents eat couscous. Later they will dance in the pub a little further on. Mayor Thielemans is also glad to get to know his neighbours a bit better. "You rarely meet people this way. It is fantastic that even commuters take part." Organiser Carl De Moncharline is surprised that so many people responded to his initiative. "I gave the impulse and everyone worked it out in their own way. Next year we will certainly expand 'Feest in het Gebouw'." And then the whole of Flanders will celebrate too. (BAG/Photo Goossens)