A dark week for the Drenthe music scene and pirate culture. Icon Henk de Roo, also known as ‘Boer Harms’ of the Dutch Boys, died on Friday at the age of 69. This weekly overview therefore pays extensive attention to the Zwartemeer.
But more happened in Drenthe last week. For example, it was announced on Monday that insurer TVM will remain in Hoogeveen. The insurer will build a new head office near the railway. The company previously considered a move to Zwolle, but that plan was scrapped. To the delight of the municipality of Hoogeveen, and in particular alderman Niek Wind (Municipal Interests).
The insurer is a major employer for Hoogeveen. Approximately 600 people work at the company. “They focus on the transport and logistics branch, which is really something Hoogeveen,” says Wind. “It all comes together really well here.”
On Tuesday, an announced pharmacists’ strike led to commotion. Pharmacies in Drenthe wanted to go on strike for nine days around Christmas. Employees have been campaigning for a better collective labor agreement since September and wanted to put pressure on them again with this strike. Pharmacists feared the consequences for patients.
Employers went to court to use summary proceedings to prevent the pharmacies from closing. The judge later decided that the strike should not go ahead. Pharmacies will be open next week.
A very special tree was found in Dalerpeel in the raised bog on Wednesday. A count shows that the tree is much older than thought, about 2,000 years. The ‘mummified’ pedunculate oak is almost 7,000 years old. And that is mysterious because, according to previous estimates, the raised bog would only have existed for 5,000 years.
People who live in the north of Drenthe experience earthquake stress just like the people of Groningen. This was evident from research on Thursday by the University of Groningen and research agency Nivel into the impact of earthquake damage on the population.
He died on Friday: Henk de Roo, or ‘Boer Harms’. At the beginning of October, De Roo announced that he was seriously ill. He had esophageal cancer. Together with music friends René Karst and William Bossong from Mooi Wark, RTV Drenthe looked back on the illustrious career of Zwartemeerder.
In October the Dutch Boys were at ‘their’ Mega Pirate Festival in Klazienaveen. It was one of the last times that De Roo wore his characteristic overalls with yellow Walkman headphones.