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A home on Hoogstraat, with a shower and everything!

The family of Jan van Dienst lived in a house to be proud of. The service dwelling had a shower and was located on Hoogstraat.

JvD in de Hoogstraat als kind

Jan van Dienst spent part of his childhood in an apartment above a cheese shop on Hoogstraat. He lived there with his father, mother and two sisters. The store premises below them are now occupied by a lunchroom. The glossy white tiles still echo traces of the spotless, tidy cheese shop. Jan’s father was a quality inspector responsible for thirty cheese shops in the greater Rotterdam area. The shop sold cheese, butter, eggs and related products.

JvD in de Hoogstraat als kind
JvD voor winkels in de Hoogstraat

Modern home

The apartment was a service flat that came with the shop. Jan’s parents were very proud of their modern home, and their extended families were envious; not everyone had a flat on such a nice street as Hoogstraat, with a shower and all. In retrospect, the home may have been a little small for five people to live in. Looking out his window, Jan could see all the way to the broad Blaak boulevard; the city was still relatively empty at that point. An occasional patch of bare ground awaiting development stood in sharp contrast to the modern reconstruction work.

Jan’s parents were very proud of their modern home, and their extended families were envious; not everyone had a flat on such a nice street as Hoogstraat, with a shower and all.

Playing by the Achterklooster

Children were always playing behind the home, by the Achterklooster. It was a playground with a skating course that was often used as a football pitch. There was a small grassy field in front of the Savoy Hotel and by Haringvliet, but Jan wasn’t really supposed to play there. Lots of older teens and young adults worked in the area, and when the workers from the Industry Building played a friendly football match against the mechanics working in the Citroen garage in the Emporium building on the skating course by the Achterklooster, Jan would watch them play.

Children were always playing behind the home, by the Achterklooster. It was a playground with a skating course that was often used as a football pitch.
knipsel Jan van Dienst
Knipsel Jan van Dienst2

Specialist shops

The Industry Building, that made an intimidating impression on Jan in those early years. The locals had no business going into that huge building; it only housed wholesale companies. A Hooimeijer employee sometimes gave him pins. They went shopping on Hoogstraat, Pannekoekstraat and Meent. Lots of specialist shops were situated in the immediate vicinity: furniture shops on Mariniersweg, a rattan furniture shop on Hoogstraat, a De Gruyter greengrocer on Goudsesingel, and various car showrooms and garages.

The Industry Building, that made an intimidating impression on Jan in those early years.

Quiet as a mouse

Other than work and football, not much happened in the neighbourhood. The whole area was quiet as a mouse, especially on Sunday. There were no cafés and restaurants; the deliberate separation of functions in the city centre had ensured their absence here. It was a peaceful time. A quiet, pleasant, clearly structured time, in a street that was still missing some pieces.

The whole area was quiet as a mouse, especially on Sunday.
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