ME AND MY HOBBY......

My collection started in 1976 with my first model ambulance from Corgy Toys, a Superior ambulance. Long before that I was already very fond of ambulances.

I asked my father, when we visit the hospital, to follow the ambulances so I could see them better. When I was about 17 years old and finished the Highschool I went to Hilversum and studied for nurse at the hospital. I was living in aroom which I rented from an old lady. In that time I went to several toy shops and bought some models. I did also visit in that time a lot of ambulance services to make some photo. I wrote in that time also to a lot of ambulance factories to get some brochures and other related material for my hobby.

After a view years I met my wife Peggy and she likes the hobby also and stimulated me with my hobby and we visit together the toyshops and were making together photo's from ambulances.

My collection was still growing.

In 1983 we went to Drachten and I started for a new job to work and study on the operation theathre at the hospital in Drachten. I also worked at that time at the Emergency Center/Trauma Center. I did both studies, Operation Theathre and Emergency Trauma treatment. I also started to work part-time as a nurse at the ambulance service in Drachten. I was at that moment the only nurse. The other people where just drivers and EMTs. No paramedic was available.

So I did got a better job and more money to buy models and other stuff. I had at that time a collection from 600 ambulancemodels.

When I was ready with my study I worked full-time on the Emergency Department and was also working part-time at an ambulance service in Oosterwolde. I didn't worked at the ambulance in Drachten any mre because I lived to far away from the ambulancestation.

I worked at my free days in Oosterwolde and some times a week shift. When I had a shift I was staying there and sleep at the station.

In 1991 the director of the ambulance service asked me if I want a full time job at the service . I agreeded with my terms and I became an ambulance nurse and did also some studies. I am also working as a E.R.- nurse at the trauma center in Drachten

So a few weeks later we moved to Oosterwolde, a little village with about 15.000 inhabitants. It is a nice village with a lot of free space and woods. I am working at the ambulance service in Drachten as an ambulance nurse and as head of the medical supply room.

My collection was still growing and I had over the 1500 models. My photo collection was still growing also the other material. In the house we had more space for my collection. The third floor was my area and I put there all my collection and office. But as you understand the space was to small for me and we run out of space because my collection was still growing very hard. So we did to see for another house.

In 1996 we bought a large old farmhouse with a lot of space and was standing free neearby the center of the village and nearby a canal. So we bought the house and moved avery thing. My collection was stored in about 200 large boxes. I got two own rooms for my collection. But till today the rooms are to small for my collection so I started in 1999 to rebuilt my garage and make there also a room for my collection. In the beginning of this year I have a new room added to mij house. It is a special room for a modeltrain track with special Red Cross trains and an accident scene. Everything is electronic. Also you will find in my new room a special show-case with only SIKU ambulance models. Also there are stored all my CODE 3 models. 

In a few years I want to make an own museum.

I hope when my two sons are growned up that they are going futher with my collection and that they aren't selling it when I died.

If you want to see my collection please make an appointment and I will show you everything.....