Halloween, Sinterklaas and the story of Soetendaal
19 October 2026
This is an English translation of the newsletter of Wijkvereniging Ooievaarsnest, which is sent in Dutch.
Dear residents,
This edition opens with news from the board, including the new house style and website of the residents’ association. Also inside: Halloween on Saturday 31 October, Sinterklaas on Sunday 22 November and our new series The story of the neighbourhood, with two residents who have lived on Soetendaal from the very start. You can find all upcoming activities in the calendar on the website.
From the board
In every newsletter, the board briefly updates you on what is going on in the association.
New house style, website and newsletter
You will notice it straight away: the residents’ association has a new house style. The logo with the stork, the colours and the typefaces return on the website, in this newsletter and soon on posters and flyers. The website ooievaarsnest.info has been completely rebuilt and also works well on your phone. You will find the calendar with upcoming activities, previous newsletters, information about neighbourhood watch and the neighbourhood lending scheme, and from now on also the series The story of the neighbourhood. You can sign up for the newsletter or become a member online.
Board member Jeroen van Schelven has put a lot of time into this over the past months, and we are very grateful to him. Is something missing on the site, or have you spotted a mistake? Let us know at info@ooievaarsnest.info.
New articles of association and rules
The articles of association and the internal rules of the association are due for renewal. The board is working on a revised version, which we want to put to the general members’ meeting. For this we are looking for a notary, or someone with legal experience, who is willing to review the documents and advise us. Perhaps that expertise lives right here in the neighbourhood. Would you like to help, or do you know someone? Email info@ooievaarsnest.info.
General members’ meeting on Monday 22 February 2027
Save the date: the annual general members’ meeting is on Monday 22 February 2027 at 20.00 in the community centre ’t Slot. The agenda and documents will follow in a later newsletter and on the website.
An update on neighbourhood maintenance, including the cycle path, will follow in the next newsletter.
In memoriam Ton Muurmans
We received the sad news that Ton Muurmans passed away on 2 October. For many years Ton devoted himself to the neighbourhood, as a member of the board, of the editorial team of the neighbourhood magazine and of the activities committee. He was also the accordionist who returned every year at the New Year’s drinks at the Ooievaar.
We are grateful to Ton for everything he meant to the neighbourhood, and we wish his loved ones strength in coping with this loss.
The board
Halloween at ’t Ooievaarsnest, Saturday 31 October
Dare to join in? On Saturday 31 October, from 19.00 to 20.00, we will walk a trick-or-treat route past the haunted houses in the neighbourhood. A fun atmosphere for young and old, and we expect around 200 participants.
- When: Saturday 31 October, 19.00 - 20.00
- Where: gather on the field by the Ooievaar (Rooswijck/Twickel)
- Cost: € 0.50 per participant; no need to sign up as a participant
Want to be a haunted house? Send an email to activiteiten@ooievaarsnest.info, or come to the field by the Ooievaar on Saturday 31 October between 15.30 and 16.00 and give us your address there. Make sure you have plenty of sweets!
Feel free to share the poster with your neighbours. There is also a Dutch version of the poster. Together we will make it a spooky, fun evening!
Sinterklaas at ’t Slot, Sunday 22 November
This year Stichting Genderbeemd, Stichting Hart voor Hanevoet and the Ooievaarsnest residents’ association are organising a Sinterklaas party together. All children from our neighbourhoods aged 3 to 8 are welcome on Sunday 22 November from 14.00 to 16.00 in the community centre ’t Slot (Kastelenplein 167).
The party is free, but registration really is required: Sinterklaas wants to know how many presents and pepernoten to bring. Register your child(ren) by 2 November at the latest via activiteiten.hanevoet@gmail.com, with name and address, age and any allergies.
Older brothers and sisters will not receive a present, but they are of course welcome at the party.
More about the Sinterklaas party
The story of the neighbourhood: Oh Soetendaal
Talk to Dity and Marijke, two residents who have been here from the very start, and it soon becomes clear that their street, Soetendaal, is much more than a row of houses. It is a place full of memories, friendships and activities that people still look back on with great pleasure.
Marijke has lived there since her house was completed in 1977. Dity moved from Groningen to the Hanevoet in February 1974, and in 1980 to Soetendaal in the Ooievaarsnest. Although they were not neighbours from day one, they now share decades of good memories.
What makes it special is that the bond in the street began before the houses were even finished. At meetings held by the builder, future residents came together to discuss how the construction was going. They did not just look at building plans; they also made plans of their own. Residents joined forces for shared purchases, such as double glazing. The foundations of a close-knit neighbourhood were laid.
That sense of togetherness came into full bloom at the very first neighbourhood party. The venue? The builder’s site hut. Perhaps not the most atmospheric party hall by today’s standards, but the party was a great success. After that first year the neighbourhood party moved to the grounds next to Roto, and these days it takes place on the green in the neighbourhood.
There was never a shortage of activities. With a smile, the two women mention the legendary six-a-side games, pétanque competitions, Sinterklaas celebrations, visits from the Easter Bunny, volleyball tournaments and barbecues with live music on one of the residents’ organ. Children put on performances, and canoe trips were organised that ended at the Klotputten. Being bored was simply not an option.
And as if that does not sound special enough: in 1980 sheep even walked through the neighbourhood every week. A sight that is hard to imagine today, but fortunately a photo with this article still brings it back.
Still, the two women notice that the neighbourhood has changed over the years. Only a few of the original residents are left, and the ties between neighbours have become weaker. In their view, children play outside less, and fewer people want to spend time organising activities. Fortunately, Marijke and Dity also see good things happening. They see children of former residents moving back to the neighbourhood, and that feels like coming home. And although, as far as they are concerned, the six-a-side games could be organised again tomorrow, above all they are grateful for everything the street has given them.
One thing they know for sure: they love living here and have no plans to leave any time soon. Their street still feels like home.
On the website, this story also comes with two newspaper articles from 2005, when the residents’ association turned thirty.
Read the story with the clippings
A story from your street too?
In the series The story of the neighbourhood, we give residents a place to share something: why you came to live here, a fond memory, or a neighbour who deserves a pat on the back. A contribution of 200 to 400 words, or a photo with a short description, is enough. Email info@ooievaarsnest.info.
’t Boekenslot: borrow books for free at ’t Slot
For more than twelve years, the community centre ’t Slot has been home to the volunteer library ’t Boekenslot. You can borrow books there for free, and anything that is not on the shelves can be reserved. The collection is regularly topped up with recent titles from Bibliotheek Eindhoven. Now that the evenings are getting longer again, it is a good moment to drop in.
- Monday 14.00 - 16.00
- Tuesday 10.00 - 12.00
- Thursday 14.00 - 16.00
The reading table and the service point of Bibliotheek Eindhoven are open during the opening hours of ’t Slot. Questions? Email boekenslot@gmail.com.
Kind regards,
The editorial team