Yesterday was one of the worst days in my life. After a carreer of 32 years at the Thermphos- site (former Hoechst) in Vlissingen I left to start a new job as process technician at the Latex-site of Styron in Terneuzen. Probably my appearance didn’t show, but I felt sad …. very sad. It doesn’t seem to be a smart decision at this moment, but I hope it will turn out to be a wise one in the future ….
I was intensely aware that every thing I did or saw, would be for the last time. So I went to all places where in the past I had special memories. Of course I visited Furnace 2 (called “the murderer” by some of my colleagues) to honour Ton Witte and Ruud de Looff …… and made this photo.
I have a feeling that stupid decisions made by un- or misinformed managers and politicians took away my investment of 32 years in a production site that had become a part of my life. I leave it with sadness. I made a lot of mistakes in the past years and that does not make you stupid, ……. but “experienced” (as long as you realize it were mistakes!).
I’m sure that the men still working at the site to keep it safe, feel more responsibility for a good, safe and environment-friendly demolition of “our” plant than all responsible governors and politicians together.
Thanks to the social media we are able to keep contact via Facebook which has an ex-colleagues group (private).
To all of my ex-colleagues who read this post ….. A STRONG HANDSHAKE and a big THANK YOU for all the good years we have worked together at this wonderful Phosphorus-production-site. You’ll probably remember me as that weird old guy in a Red Rocket, or Red Dildo, or Red Submarine, or Red Cigar, or Red Banana, or Velomobile, or Whatever ……. 
