“Joe Radio Presenter Heidi Van Tielen Talks Mischief and Smoskes in School: A Class Photo Story”

“In the class photo I had bleached my hair terribly. (laughs) I’ve been coloring my locks since I was twelve and my older sister Erika was also allowed by our parents. Just before this photo was taken, my hair was orange. When I saw a decolorizer in the Kruidvat, I thought it would take away the reddish color.”

“But all the color faded away, so I suddenly got a white haircut. During high school I colored all my friends’ hair. Despite our uniforms, we were looking for ways to experiment. You could also deduce what type someone was from our shoes. The ones with Timberlands and Scapa pullovers had more of a snobbish style. Even though they were sweet girls too, you know.”

“I had all kinds of footwear: Kickers, Palladiums and also those Timberlands. It was difficult to put me in one specific group. My girlfriends and I, a group of seven, were very close together. We have never let go of each other and still meet every two months.”

“Our tradition at school was to prepare each other’s lunch. One day we had the plan to eat as many smoskes as possible. A friend made them for us, but hadn’t cooked them well. We sat in class in the afternoon. Later, when I talked to teachers, they always talked about our group. According to them we talked too much, but we had good intentions. We didn’t disturb the lessons and got good grades.”

“I didn’t have to put in any effort until I was in fourth grade. Furthermore, there were few boys in our class, because it was previously a girls’ school. In fifth grade I had my first boyfriend, but they always had to be a bit older. (laughs)”

Melissa Eysackers: “When we meet up with friends, it seems just earlier. Also with Heidi, we trust each other blindly. For example, I was allowed to be a midwife during her delivery. I loved that she asked me that question. During play times we always sat on the benches chatting together, and a few friends sat on the floor. The latter was not allowed, the school was quite strict.”

“We thought it was a silly rule, but we didn’t oppose it. Doing mischief at most, such as throwing a wad against the window when the teacher wasn’t looking. That story of those smossen, I still get sick when I think about it. We ate five per man, only they were undercooked. (laughs) Heidi spoke very nice General Dutch. Her parents, both teachers, passed on that well-groomed language. For us she has remained the same. We do not see her as the BV of the class, but as our dear friend.”

Marie Caes: “Heidi and I went through high school together. That was a rash time, six years long. Now we see each other about every two weeks. Heidi even set me up with my husband. (laughs) Our uniforms were useful, yet we rebelled with them carefully. Under the blue sweater you had to wear a light blue striped shirt. Only the collar was visible, so we simply cut off the rest of the shirt. That only formed ugly ridges under our pullover, we thought.”

“A little later, during our 100 days, we acted out elves. So my hair had to be blonde and Heidi arranged that. She was very good at her coloring. (laughs) At the end of high school we occasionally went out. With us in Merksem you had a room where scouts parties were organized with the legendary name De Volkslust. But going out never hindered our points. Heidi was a smart, fun and beloved student.”

The CLASS PHOTO. This is what singer Lady Linn looked like as a little girl. “I often threw punches”

THE CLASS PHOTO. Actress Charlotte Anne Bongaerts was a naughty teenager. “My moped gave me so much freedom”

THE CLASS PHOTO. This was Natan designer Edouard Vermeulen (65) as a little blond boy. “I was a loner”