Dat horeka yn Terherne altyd al in grutte rol spile hat, bewiist it ferhaal dat ik dy no fertelle sil. We weagje wer in sprong, no nei 1882. Café Zevenwouden is der allang en is no fan heit Rypkema. It Is ek de tiid dat it Far dimpt wurdt en Rypkema stiet foar de kar wa fan beide soannen de kroech oernimme sil. Der is spul en se komme der ûnderling net út. It kafee moat feilt wurde en de beide broers biede flink tsjin elkoar op. De iene broer lûkt oan it koartste ein en keapet in pân oan de oare kant fan it doarp by de brêge. Hy brekt it ôf en lit in nije herberch bouwe. Grutter en op in drokker plak as dat fan syn broer mei it Café Zevenwouden. In de 21ste ieuw hjit it de Gouden Leeuw. De konkurrinsjestriid liedt derta dat de broer mei Café Zevenwouden fallyt gean sil en it wer ferkocht wurde moat. Dochs sil de kroech syn namme hâlde, yn elts gefal oant yn de 21ste ieuw.
Oké, we stappe wer werom nei de hjoeddeistige tiid.
En we gean wer fierder. Al fynt it ferhaal oer de horeka en de kroegen fan Terherne noch net syn ein. Want watst miskien net witst is dat der noch in kroech wie, op in noch hiele oare ‘hoeke fan Terherne’. En de namme fan dy kroech wie wol hiel opmerkelik, hielendal as je sjogge nei de hjoeddeistige tiid.
We rinne basisskoalle Bloei oan de linkerkant foarby en stekke oer nei de herfoarme tsjerke. Gean mar troch it stek. En gean fuortendaliks rjochts ôf en oer it gers nei myn grêf. Ja, do sjochtst it goed. De earste stien rjochts, dat is myn lêste rêstplak. (No ja rêstplak, ik ha it der mar wer drok mei…)
Wolst wat foar my dwaan? Lêz dan eefkes mei folle omtinken myn lêste wink dy’t dêr skreaun stiet. Nim it eefkes goed yn dy op. “Tot in den eeuwigheid…” [En no freegje ik dy: wat soe dyn lêste winsk wêze foar de wrâld dytst efterlitst? En soe it dan ek wier sa barre tinkst? Tsja…. Ik haw leard dat allinnich de tiid dat antwurd hat.
Ik bin bliid dat ik dêr hjoed noch wat yn betsjutte kin. Dan sjogge je flak foar it tsjerkje it hûs mei de giele brievenbus. Gean foar dit hûs rjochts ôf, by de hage fan de tsjerke del, it smelle strjitsje yn. Nei it gielbrune hok stopje we eefkes. Do sjochst hjir in pear lytse âlde húskes stean. En âld binne se, want hjir fynst it earste stiennen hûs fan Terherne. Ek wol in stins neamd.
Hjirfoar gean we werom nei it jier 1500. It giet om dizze wente, Wat letter in groepke fan lytsere húskes wurde sil, wurdt yn earste bouwd as 1 grut hûs. Yn dit hûs sitte Roazewinkels, dat binne stienen dy’t op de boulokaasje sels bakt wurde. As we dêrnei in spronkje meitsje nei it jier 1750, sjogge we dat der in grutte ferbouwing geande is. Fan it grutte hûs wurde 4 lytske húskes en in bûthús makke. Yn in inkelt húske binne dizze roazewinkels noch hieltyd oanwêzich, yn in skoarstien, it orizjinele en bewarre riikkanaal fan de stins. De inisjatyfnimmers fan de bou fan de stins binne de Oenema’s, in famylje fan boereadel dy’t in soad ûnreplik guod hawwe yn dit hiele gebied.. Yn de lege Wâlden, fan Terherne oant oan De Jouwer hawwe sy it foar’t sizzen.
We rinne werom nei de dyk en slane op’e nij rjochts ôf by de giele brievenbus en rinne nei de Pastorij, de snackbar op’e hoeke.
Sunday 15 April 1945, Friesland's official liberation day, was also the day Sneek welcomed the Canadian liberation forces. It had been an exciting day, and the Dutch Domestic Armed Forces (NBS) had fought quite a battle with the occupiers.
A day earlier, German troops had begun to withdraw from Sneek and the NBS had tried to hinder their retreat along the Leeuwarderweg as much as possible. Until a column of German parachute troops had entered the fray and forced the NBS to retreat.
The Waag building in the middle of the city centre was used as a weapons cache by the occupying forces during the war. To prevent it from falling into Allied hands, the fleeing troops set it on fire at around three o'clock on Sunday. Loud explosions and bangs resounded throughout the city for half an hour.
Once the enemy had left the city, the NBS operatives gathered at the HBS school for instructions and the distribution of weapons and armbands. They went into the city to round up traitors. Then, rumour had it that hundreds of German soldiers were on their way to Sneek from Lemmer. Immediately, fortifications were built at the Water gate.
Canadian units were alerted. They were now in possession of the latest defence plans for Sneek thanks to NBS intelligence and were advancing from Joure towards the town.
In the evening around half past seven, the first patrol of the Canadian infantry battalion Le régiment De La Chaudière rode into town with flame-throwers and machine guns. The German troops stayed away, and the full Canadian battalion followed.
Sneek was liberated, but freedom was not yet guaranteed as German troops tried to escape via the Afsluitdijk towards Friesland. The Canadian Regiment of the Queens Own Rifles moved through Sneek to the Afsluitdijk and fiercely fought at Wons. Six Canadian soldiers were killed. They were temporarily buried at Sneek General Cemetery. In 1946, they were reburied at the Canadian Field of Honour in Holten.
Canadian guests While waiting to return to their homeland, hundreds of Canadian soldiers were lodged with families in Sneek for about five months. On 1 June, the Perth Regiment arrived in the town, which they temporarily renamed Stratford. They were involved in the liberation of Groningen. A committee was set up to entertain the soldiers with various activities. From dances to sailing competitions and special church services.
Cordial ties developed between the liberators and the people of Sneek. And sometimes more than that. For Gordon C. Compton and Atty Bouma, one could even speak of "love at first sight". When the last soldiers return home at the end of November, Gordon decided to stay in the Netherlands. On 9 May 1946, he married Atty in Sneek. Not long after, Gordon and his "war bride" left for Canada.
Several monuments in the city recall the special bond with the Canadian military, which remains very close to this day.