Holland House 2010 - a review
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70,000 CELEBRATE DUTCH NATIONAL DAY ON TRAFALGAR SQ
First Pole Vaulting in a London square
Speedy Cyclists win up to £2,500 worth of bikes and accessories
Trafalgar Square went completely Dutch on Saturday as over 70,000 visitors celebrated the country’s national day with London’s free entry party: Holland House.
Dutch Sports: Pole-Vaulting and Cycling
There was a definite Dutch flavour from beginning to end as Trafalgar Square witnessed its first-ever pole vaulting demonstration – the Dutch have a long history with the sport – complete with a host of Dutch and British athletes who soared 16 feet and more over the crowds.
And of course, it wouldn’t have been a Dutch day without some cycling which, in co-operation with Evans Cycles, took on a speedy turn with visitors vying to beat each other on hi-tech exercise bikes in a 750 meter sprint. Fortunately the bikes were safely anchored to rollers, but that didn’t stop three prize winners cycling away with up to £2,500 worth of bikes and accessories.
Taste the Dutch Lifestyle
Whilst all this was going on, the crowds enjoyed the sun and the huge range of attractions including live music from top Dutch bands, Dutch food and drink, clog making and the authentic Dutch market.
Said Andrew van der Feltz, UK & Ireland Director, Netherlands Board of Tourism, “Holland House is a great place for Brits to get a taste of Holland and the Dutch lifestyle and also to enjoy the Dutch party atmosphere. Today was the 5th anniversary of Holland House and to celebrate we wanted to bring something authentically Dutch to the square - so it was great to see the pole vaulters in action and so many people competing in the cycle challenge.”
Youngsters had their own kids’ corner with plenty to keep them amused, such as balloon modelling, face painting and theatre shows whilst, for art lovers, just a few steps away from the pole vaulting, the National Gallery put on free tours of its fine collection of Dutch paintings.
This year’s Holland House party was all in aid of Holland’s national day and marks the fifth year that the Dutch have brought a taste of local lifestyle to London. The celebrations began on Friday with the Dutch Therapy gig at The Arches nightclub, London, where top Dutch DJs, including 6’8” Afrojack showcased the best of Holland’s house music until the early hours.