With schools breaking up for summer holidays on Saturday and plenty to enjoy in town and beyond, there are certainly reasons to be cheerful in Belgium. Among our favourites were city time capsules leaving legacies, cancer cures and a 'Brussels Boutique' opening across the Channel.
Today's positive pick
Officials from the small Belgian city of Binche in Wallonia created and sealed a time capsule in the Town Hall Belfry on Wednesday 5 July, hoping to leave a legacy for the Binchois (people of Binche) of the 22nd century.
The capsule, a tube around one metre high, contains a number of photos and objects from life in Binche in 2023. It has been placed in the Belfry which is currently undergoing renovation work.
It includes drawings and objects from Binche schools, a piece of Binche lace, posters, a 'ramon' (a bundle of birch or willow twigs), and a 'Gille' mask, symbolising the renowned Binche Carnival which takes place in the town each year.
There are also messages from locals to future Binchois, photos of the town, a few banknotes and coins, and two cycling bidons recalling the time the city hosted the 3rd Stage and 6th Stage of the Tour de France in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
"We wanted to create a time capsule to mark the 900th anniversary of Binche as well as a number of renovation projects, notably at the Collégiale Saint-Ursmer, the Palais de Justice, the railway station and the Hôtel de Ville. We're proposing to open the capsule a hundred years from now," explained Binche Mayor Laurent Devin.
"At that time, we will be able to discover a few items from the present day, such as the poster for the 1912 Binche Carnival by Louis Buisseret."
Binche Mayor, Laurent Devin, and the city's time capsule which reads 'To be opened in 100 years. Binche, 5 July 2023.' Credit: Belga / The Brussels Times
The burgomaster also added a personal letter to the time capsule, which read: "This letter is 100 years old. The town of Binche has a population of 3,000 and is located in the central region of Belgium, in the province of Hainaut, at the heart of the European Union."
He continued: "Our city is recognised as a World Heritage Site for its carnival. This year 135,000 people took part in our folk festivities. The Tour de France has also set off twice in the last three years and 82,000 people in the town cheered on the riders of one of the world's greatest annual sporting events."
Devin noted that the time capsule was being handed down to future generations in the year 2123 "as a symbolic gift" and finished by saying "we hope you enjoy it."
Other stories from this week to make you smile:
1. Belgians' energy consumption falls to lowest level in 20 years
More people turned the heating down, turned off energy-intensive appliances, took colder showers and opted for cycling over driving in 2022, resulting in a "spectacular" 9% drop in energy consumption. Read more here.
2. New microscope detects skin cancer within 30 minutes
Ghent's university hospital (UZ Gent) is joining ULB's Erasmus Hospital to become the second hospital in Belgium to use a microscope that can diagnose skin cancer within half an hour, the Ghent hospital said on Tuesday. Read more here.
3. Showcasing Belgium's best: 'Brussels Boutique' opens in London
Members of the Brussels government were in attendance for the opening of the boutique on London's Regent Street, which Minister-President Rudi Vervoort described as "a remarkable place where Brussels comes to life." Read more here.
4. Belgian donations to charities rise despite reduced tax advantage
FPS Finance revealed on Wednesday that a total of €350 million was donated to charitable causes throughout last year; the sum had previously stood at €343 million in 2021. Read more here.
