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European 'Imagination' Roadshow, Friday, April 18 ñ Walking in Sunshine - BackwardsÖ
19 April 2002

A beautiful morning ñ the sun's shining, there's not a cloud in the sky, and Carl Van Mol leads the entourage deep into the Belgian Outback. Dew glistens on the fresh spring grass and new-born lambs frolic playfully in the passing fields. Mike's thoughts turn inexorably to his dinnerÖ

For everyone else, however, thoughts turn to something elseÖ Today the Roadshow is heading for Grimbergen, and those in the know have an immediate vision of a delicious, cool and frothy abbey beer, tenderly made in the finest tradition of recipes passed down through the ages by monastic master-brewers. With a deep golden-amber hue and a delicate taste of Ö But enough ñ we're not stopping at the abbey, we're heading for the Gemeentelijke Basisschool Humbeek.

And it's another big day! Bruce and Mike introduce cricket to the entire school of 280 pupils. What's more they've got some of Flanders' most senior sports education people present, one of whom not only stays the whole day, but also joins in. In fact, by the time he goes home he can bowl a bit!

The catch-cry rings out. Mike and Bruce shout "cricket", the youngsters roar back "fun". In fact, it's so popular that as Mike and Bruce walk past the music class at one stage, the kids get the score: "Cricket's fun", they yell out spontaneously. And, in the school lunchroom at midday, they all start doing it again ñ a continuation of which lands a few unfortunate ones with the traditional punishment of "lines".

In the afternoon, it's the big show ñ and in groups of 80 the youngsters get a real taste of what cricket is all about. At the end of it all, the headmaster says: "It's just like being in a US presidential election campaign!"

PS ñ The boys not only know several volumes of hits by heart now, they can also do "Walking in Sunshine" - not just forward, but backwards. Another couple of days and they'll be Belgium's entry for the Eurovision song contest.