Winsum. In Fries and Dutch the same.

Winsum village.

It was a very cold clear spring day, in dutch, (lente) when we visited Winsum which was on the 02-04-2007.

The church was situated by a cross road and not very centrally situated.  It was more to the edge of the village and near to the industrial area, though this could be that with modern times the

village has expanded very much which i believe is the reason.

Clock on Church Tower.

Winsum, Hervormde Kerk, Friesland.

The church used to be a Catholic Church, and is now a Protestant church.
The 'Maria Church', (Mariakerk)  was once again built on a terp (hill), and like most villages surrounded by the houses and farms.  There was a low iron railing encircling the church grounds.

The church was built in 1880.  After a two-year restoration of the originally 12th century church on September 28th, 2001 is now put back into use. (information : Reliwiki.nl). 
It is a Rijksmonument.

If you are looking for lists of graves, from ancestors etc etc, here is the website for Winsum, (Maria Church).

Friesland. http://www.graftombe.nl/category/948/winsum.

Municipal board-Winsum.

Walking through Winsum we came across an old barn which was next to the farmhouse, which was rather quaint as they had the name Farm house written in the brickwork above the uppermost window, I do love this.

Farmhouse.

Barn or old warehouse restored next too farmhouse. 

Winsum is a village in Littenseradiel, in Fryslan province in the Netherlands, not to be confused with Winsum municipality in Groningen province.

Winsum was formerly part of the (dissolved)municipality of  Baarderadeel, and on the flag the main colors of the former municipal flag have been retained in a diagonal division.

Winsum Coat of Arms.

The red pole on the yellow field is a "polsstok",a pole used for jumping over ditches.

In Winsum the first pole-jumping (fierljeppen) competitions were held in the 1950's. 

Today this event is still held in Winsum the 'Fryskechampioships'.

There is a web-site one may visit for more information  (this is inDutch) it is  :  http://fierljeppen.winsumfrl.nl/index.php

Red is a color of the new municipality of Littenseradiel.

The three white disks are "keatsballen", used in the game of"keatsen", in French named "jeu de paume",something like playing tennis with your bare hand as racket, and the ball as small as a golf-ball, white, filled with horse-hair (and very hard!).

The cog-wheel is for Miedema's firm of agricultural implements. (Solid stuff, my dad used to rely on his carts etc.) 

The name of the village is the same in Frisian and Dutch. Jarig Bakker, 23 Jul 2003. 

What you described was known as "jeu de paume" (in English real or royal tennis, the "paum" being the palm of the hand).
The game was very popular, with regional variants, but is now nearly extinct, however, the name of the game has remained famous because of the "Salle du Jeu de Paume"in Versailles.

During the 1789 General States, King Louis XVI prevented the Deputies of the Third Estate to gather in the "Salle des Menus-Plaisirs", where they had started to gather.

The Deputies moved to the real tennis hall, where they swore on 20 June 1789 "not to leave the hall before having drafted a Constitution for France".

The oath is known as the"Serment du Jeu de Paume", or, at school, as the "Serrement du Jus dePomme" ("Pressure of Apple Juice").
Ivan Sache, 23 Jul 2003.

According to the "Repertorium DTB' (a catalogue of available Dutch church
records) Winsum is also the old name for Windesheim near Zwolle. (sounds German, don't you think...

Meidema.

Meidma still on the chimney by the factory today.


It certainly felt like spring was approaching as the flowers on the trees were full nearly to bursting point with their petals ready to open and bloom and show their pretty faces and give their heady scent of perfume. 

Tree filled to bursting point with flowers.

Open flowers on tree.

As we continued walking along the street there were some houses to our left that had little bridges running across a small sloot (ditch) to their front doors and there were also some lovely gardens with beautiful flowers .

House with bridge over ditch. 

Hyacinths.

Wild flowers.

We did see some strange and eventful products, like this wooden table built around this tree in this garden.  Weird but quiet unusual. As they would say in Dutch : 'Puur Natuur', meaning 'pure nature'.

Wooden table.

A Garden in front of someone 's house.

Wiepoopad.

More scenic views.

Strobbegat. (sports and playing field).

This motorbike means business.

As I said it was spring time and of course in spring time in Friesland, one sees lots
of little lambs.

Hello, What you looking at.

More lambs, they are cute.

We then saw the time and started heading back towards the car and on our way back opposite the church in the main street was this house that used to be a vegetable and fruit shop, and still had the name up outside the house, this then means it is a monumental building and one has to keep the outside restored as it was even if they do live inside.

Monumental building, Fruit and vegetable shop.

Main street surrounding the church.

Lampost with ivy.

To round off our walk this lovely pussy willow and this close up of this flower on the tree when it was open.

Pussy willow.

close up of open flower on tree.

Then it was back to the car and back to Leeuwarden.

 As they say in Fries, 'Oant Sien'.Dutch, Tot Ziens.

We saw this board as we were leaving Winsum.

GOODBYE!! Till next time on our travels.