I was born in 1945 in Amsterdam, and attended middle class schools. After my school time I always worked in sales jobs: selling and rent out plastic flowers, renting out towel machines, selling furniture, and 17 years as commercial director for a cleaning service company.
The last 32 years working for a wholesaler in watersport products with the last 10 years working as export manager, and still working in that job.
25 years ago, by accident I came in contact with a shanty choir “De Compagnie Zangers “ from the town Medemblik, Netherlands. For many years I was very active in this choir with singing and also active in organizing Festivals.
In that period I came in contact with the “Bones.” During shanty Festivals in the U.K. I met “Shanty Jack “ (Pete Hayselden). Pete was organizer of a lot of Festivals in the U.K. and is still a perfect rhythm bones player.
For me he was the first singer I saw who was singing and playing rhythm bones at the same moment.
I was very fascinated by this combination, so Pete became my teacher and the producer for my first pair of rhythm bones (still my favorite rhythm bones ).
Shanty Jack (Pete Hayselden) learnt his rhythm bones playing from Erik Ilott (The Bristol Shantyman – read about Erik in newsletter, Vol 13, No 1).