MASS ENJOYMENT: Crowds get into the party spirit
I MIGHT be five years past the point where I could officially call myself a teenager, but I’m not old and grey just yet so I think it is still safe to class myself as a “young person”.
While I do own a pair of slippers and a dressing gown, it has not yet got to the point where I am eligible for a free bus pass or take pleasure in walking trips around the Peak District.
My delights in life don’t stretch much further than the clubbing scene so when I was offered the chance to spend a weekend partying in Rotterdam, Holland, I jumped at the chance.
While the city may not traditionally be known for its party lifestyle, after all it’s competing with its neighbour Amsterdam to attract the young ‘uns, it has dedicated a huge amount of time and money into catering for the younger generation.
Rotterdam was officially given the title of European Youth Capital for 2009 and the summer was dedicated to providing young people with a chance to showcase their talents.
LOTS OF ENERGY: International stars N.E.R.D in full flight.
The focus on teenagers often revolves around negative issues, such as knife crime and binge drinking, so it was encouraging to see that Rotterdam had embrace youth culture and turned it into a positive experience.
If you’re an old fuddy-duddy who hates music festivals, with their loud music and endless amounts of booze and fatty food, then you would do well to stay away from Rotterdam.
This city is for the party animals…for a year at least.
The summer line-up was crazy and featured five weeks of pure partying which was all about “da youth”.
My weekend fell during the Your World Music Festival and the TMF Awards Festival which boasted performances from international stars including N.E.R.D and The Black Eyed Peas.
TOP BAND: The Black Eyed Peas impressed visitors.
Young people were offered the chance to take part in the planning of the Your World Music Festival – from programming and producing to performing on stage.
There was a really positive atmosphere that radiated around the festival and showed that the young people were not out to make trouble, but to socialise and have fun.
It was clear that Rotterdam was no one trick pony which had thrown loads of money at the promotion of the younger generation, who would be forgotten about once it was forced to give up its youth capital status.
With 100,000 young people living and working in the city, it catered for the youth with stylish shops and pretty cafs which makes it appealing whatever time of year.
While culture was not high on the agenda for me, I did manage to get a flavour of its history with a bike tour around the city with visits to the Euromast and the cube houses, which looked like they had just been plucked out of a futuristic sci-fi movie.
UNUSUAL: The impressive cube properties.
And with Rotterdam being famous for its port, I sat for an hour on a boat which travelled up and down the river showing me endless numbers of cranes and boxes.
Hmm….don’t do this trip after a night out on the town. Trust me.
What was clearly evident during my weekend in Rotterdam was that it came across as a modern city, the perfect place to celebrate your youth.
I was spoilt for choice with the variety of bars and clubs on offer which catered for every taste, from the R n B vibes to the hard trance tunes.
I had a preconception that Rotterdam would be behind with the times, but I was surprised by how relevant the music scene was to the clubs I go to back in England.
But what was even more astonishing was how the city’s leaders had moved further ahead by dedicating an entire summer to catering for the younger generation.
I await with eager anticipation for that attitude to cross the shores and hit the UK.
Cherry flew from Manchester to Amsterdam (Schiphol) with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and stayed two nights at the Hotel Golden Tulip in the centre of Rotterdam. From Schiphol airport a direct train to Rotterdam takes around 50 minutes.
