The comedian and columnist, who is vocal about his love for Groningen in his performances, made his feelings known in the VARAgids. ‘My crew and I were shocked when we learned of the name change’, Van ‘t Hek writes.
Late last year, the well-known blue neon letters spelling out the name De Blauwe Engel were removed from the pub’s façade. After 40years, the building was taken over and renamed ‘t Vaatje, after the pub that owner Jeroen de Vries ran in the Poelestraat for years.
‘Can’t go unpunished’
Van ‘t Hek does not like it. ‘You can’t just change the name of De Blauwe Engel, that monument with its rich history, and go unpunished. Especially not if you’ve named it Het Vaatje!’, he says. ‘I call upon the owner of this historical basement pub to immediately reverse this mistake. I’m told he still has De Blauwe Engel’s neon letters.’
The comedian offers to reopen the pub himself. ‘And then we’ll sing Niemand weet hoe laat het is with the entire pub one more time. I can’t wait.’
The pub owner will not change the name of ‘t Vaatje, but he has invited Van ‘t Hek on Twitter to reveal De Blauwe Engel’s old neon letters when he’s given the sign ‘a nice spot in the new ‘t Vaatje’.
Zeg @youpvanthek als jij de oude Engel-neon mag onthullen op een mooi plekje in t nieuwe Vaatje kom je dan ‘niemand weet…’ bij ons lallen?
— Het Vaatje (@vaatjegroningen) February 14, 2017
Translation: Hey Youp, if you can find a good spot in ‘t Vaatje for the old neon letters from the Engel, will you come perform ‘niemand weet’ for us?