A LEGEND IN ANTWERP CAFE STRANGE
What was your clientele here in the past?
How does it feel to be working still?
All of them younger kids. From 16 years old they came to party. Now it's guys in their 20's. I often rent the café out for birthday parties, and the guys from the fashion academy have got to know the Strange. Dries Van Noten was one of the first lads to throw such parties.
It's what keeps me going! What would I do otherwise? I still do it with pleasure. I'm open between 17 and 03 hours. Now and then I get a little help.
How do you know Dries Van Noten?
Most definitely! That's why I've transferred it with an annuity. Of course you never know what will happen.
I've worked for him! I sewed his creations. He brought me the patterns. In this way I worked on items for his exhibition in London. I found it really great to do. I did it for 25 years in a workshop surrounded by mannequins: pity they weren't men [laughs]. It's a completely different business, of course. With fashion you go to customers you want to see; with a café it's just the opposite – a customer comes in and you have to be content with that customer. What still remains as your number one moment in the café? In the 1980s during the carnival period. Unfortunately this isn't celebrated any more in Antwerp. Then the café was in total chaos. Everyone was in fancy dress and the customers could win up to 5000 francs for the first prize. It was full to busting and brought a lot of money in. For New Year we always did something special. In the Christmas period I provided a cold buffet. I stopped with that because, well, you know how it goes, it's never big and good enough. Have you ever had a cocktail of the house? When it was carnival my kids, as I always call my customers, would always drink a cocktail, but we didn't have a special mix. Have you had more difficult times? It's gone slowly downhill since 1993. We had the first setback when the GOC (Homoglia) began with gay soirees. Then Hessenhuis came along and Ludo began to throw parties in the Stadsfeestzaal [city party centre, tr] and then started Red & Blue, and that drew customers away, too. I see Ludo here now and then with his broad grin, always friendly, gives me a kiss.
Do you hope that Strange will stay a homo bar?
Roger died recently – condolences; do you miss him terribly? He died in 2009. He had diabetes. I really do miss him. I don't really have a life without him. Strange and the customers keep me going. It was an enormous blow. We'd been together since 1957. I was still a sailor in those days and had moored up in Brussels. I was 25 then. We went out together and got to know each other better. After our first date he sent me a love-letter, but at first I ignored it. As a sailor it's difficult to keep a relationship going. Did you have an open relationship? Not really, but now and then something would happen. In those days there was no internet and there were no saunas. Nowadays it's all a lot easier. In the 80's Roger got to know a Dutchman and went every week there, but we were always a close couple. We got married during the last 3 months of his life. Did you have other partners before him? Of course – I've had a few adventures [laughs]. Also the occasional flutter for a week, but nothing serious. Do you have good friends? I have a few regulars who are good friends. I certainly don't feel lonely, but I miss my husband terribly. I've never missed having a family with kids. That was never a topic. Are you happy? Now and then I miss Roger an awful lot. What is happiness, in fact? – I'd rather say that I'm content sometimes. I'm happy with what I was able to create, both in fashion and as bar owner and I still hope to be able to add a few years.