Jeremy
Jeremy Bangs is a leading expert on the lives of the Pilgrims who lived in Leiden in the early 17th century, before going on to found the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts. Originally from Oregon, Jeremy has lived in Leiden for more than 30 years. He served as curator of the Leiden Pilgrim Documents Center of the Leiden Municipal Archives and chief curator of Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts before founding the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum in 1997. The museum is located in the oldest house in Leiden, which dates from the mid-14th century. Jeremy, 72, lives in Leiden with his wife.
Luc
Many people who start boxing prefer the training to actually fighting. When Luc Zirkzeefigured that out, he started LuckyGym, a place where boxers of all skill levels can learn the sport and train with a private instructor or a group. A boxer who simply want to train never needs to spar if he or she doesn’t want this, and the LuckyGym motto is “boxing without losing brain cells.” Luc, 48, lives in Leiden with his wife and five sons.
Colin
Colin van Gestel-Messiaen has been a jazz lover all his life. When De Twee Spieghels Jazz & Wijncafe came up for sale eight years ago, he jumped at the opportunity. De Twee Spieghels is now Leiden’s premier jazz venue, hosting more than 220 live gigs annually. Together with his husband, Colin also organizes De Leidse Jazzweek, held at multiple locations in central Leiden each January. Colin, 42, lives in Leiden, within an easy walking distance of De Twee Spieghels.
Rianne
Rianne Paardekooper has loved animals all her life. It’s not surprising, then, that she decided to become a veterinarian. Rianne currently works in the Rotterdam location of a company called Basic Vets. Now 31, Rianne lives with her husband in Leiden.
Pjer
After a 45-minute chat with Pjer Strolenberg, one feels you’ve just scratched the surface. He’s a compelling storyteller, and a man who’s worn many hats (and also many wrist watches!) over the course of his 58 years. For the past 10 years, Pjer has owned het Koffiehuisje, a popular café across the street from the Gravensteen in Leiden. He previously worked as an expert in art provenance with the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Dutch government and Christie’s auction house, and he’s still active in organizing exhibitions of art and historical artefacts around the Netherlands (a topic we barely had time to discuss). In his free time, Pjer enjoys repairing broken wrist watches, a passion he’s enjoyed since childhood. Pjer lives with his wife, Marian Hoeber, in Leiden.
