ANJA & WIM-BART

WIM-BART KNOL

‘The dimples in her cheeks. That’s what caused it. I was suddenly in love. But I didn’t have heartache when she rejected me. I continued living happily. I had a hundred other things that I enjoyed. I was a fanatic sportsman. I did triathlons and, later, ultramarathons. But when we things finally started to happen between us, I immediately wanted to get married. I’m not one
for paperwork. But I had had to wait seven years for Anja, and I thought: “I need to lock this down!”

Anja had a job at the CPB. This made it possible for me to start my own market research agency in 1994 without any stress. I didn’t immediately need to start making a profit, as long as I could cover my expenses. I was able to offer customers attractive models at relatively low prices. They turned out to be quite fond of such mischief. Anja later became my business partner. We surveyed around 300,000 people in all sorts of branches. We had three staff and 200 working students.

As of two years ago, the company no longer exists. Regulations were getting stricter and stricter, which made it hard for us to continue working the same way, on the basis of friendliness and trust. When we started, everyone’s name was still in the phone book. Nowadays, all numbers are concealed.

We now do a lot of volunteering. I started helping out at the homeless shelter, the food bank, and Humanitas. Through the latter, I’ve now got seven buddies who I do fun things with. We have coffee together, go to Schiermonnikoog, and go for walks around here.

We live in a small and quaint place in Engelbert. Every morning, we get up and look forward to the day. The world is troubled and many countries have hopeless futures. I do wonder why we’ve been so lucky.

I may not be competing any more, but sport is still an integral part of who I am. Two years ago, I cycled to Rome. And last year, I cycled to Madrid. Anja isn’t a sportswoman, but we do a lot of walking. And we enjoy watching detective programmes together. We are both perfectionists, in our own ways. She can spend two days plucking strands of grass from our garden path with the patience of a saint. You’d better not get me to do that. Just leave me to mow the lawn.’

ANJA VAN DER LINDEN

‘We met at the introduction to our respective degree programmes in economics in 1984. I was in a relationship at the time. I knew Wim-Bart was in love with me. Sometimes, people fall in love with you and then behave in such a way that you can no longer see each other. Wim-Bart and I were able to stay friends.

After graduating, I went to work for the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) in The Hague. We once met up again in Groningen and went for a walk in Zuidwolde. Suddenly, we were kissing. What caused the sparks to fly at that moment? Our conversation was different than before. Before that, Wim-Bart had been rather whimsical. His other friends and I often went months without seeing him because he was busy doing sport. But after our studies, alongside his impulsive side, I discovered his deeper side.

I had lived together with a boyfriend before and didn’t want to do that again for now. But it was winter, it was cold, and Wim-Bart’s houseboat was completely freezing. So, first, I took Wim-Bart’s cat with me to The Hague. And then he soon followed. He wanted to get married after a week, which I found a bit too quick.

We both wanted children, but it didn’t work for us the usual way. During that period of my life, I wasn’t very comfortable in my own skin. I would have had to have taken hormones, but they might have made me feel worse. I didn’t think that would be good for a child. Children deserve parents that can handle it.

I started working at Wim-Bart’s company. We were curious to see whether it would work, and as it turned out, it did. Around 10 years ago, we started getting less and less work. The way in which we worked no longer seemed possible, in a time full of regulations. We no longer needed our office in The Hague. We could live where we wanted. Back to the North! We bought a little house in Engelbert and conducted online surveys from there for a while. We stopped working two years ago. We’re now retired.

I don’t really miss working life that much. There are a lot of fun things to do in its place. I don’t get bored. I sing in choirs, I make ceramics, and I’m secretary of the organization for village interests. We’re currently advocating for Meerbos: a forest for the villages of Engelbert and Middelbert.’

In a relationship since: 15 december 1990

&

WIM-BART KNOL (62)

Business Economics 1984-1989; market researcher at Strateq
1991-1994, then founded his own research agency WBK Marktonderzoek; a fanatical and celebrated competitive ultramarathon runner who now supports seven buddies through Humanitas

ANJA VAN DER LINDEN (60)

Economics 1984-1990; scientific staff member for social security and pensions at the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) 1990-1997, then partner at WBK Marktonderzoek research agency; now a volunteer in her village of Engelbert

Also lost your heart during your studies and still together with your UG love? Would you both like to be interviewed for this column? Tips are welcome at redactieB5@rug.nl.