As the Brexit deadline approaches, tens of thousands of people have expressed interest on Facebook in a Brexit beach party in the Netherlands to say a fond farewell to Britain.
Nearly 10,000 people have signed up for the proposed event that would allow people to sit in deckchairs looking out to sea as “Great Britain wakes up as a closed institution” while enjoying “Dutch chips, French wine and German beer”.
Another 63,000 have expressed interest in the October 31 party, which is proposed to take place at Wijk aan Zee, 19 miles northwest of Amsterdam.
The party was the idea of documentary maker Ron Toekook, who is amazed by the attention it is getting, as he initially thought it would just attract aroung 100 friends.
But after the positive reaction, he is in the process of trying to make sure it actually happens.
He got the idea on holiday in Hawaii, when he saw people on the beach watching the sun set with drinks in hand.
“I live near the beach and I thought it would be nice on October 31 to go to the beach and … look over the ocean to the horizon where Great Britain is and then wave at the Brits and say farewell to good friends of ours,” he told the Press Association.
He originally hoped the party would attract about 100 friends, but now the idea has gone viral he is starting serious work to make the beach party happen.
He is already scouting locations at the beach and talking finances and on Thursday he has an appointment with the local mayor to talk about security.
The plan has had a mixed reception in the UK, said the filmmaker, but he added that “a lot of Brits understand the tongue-in-cheek humour behind it all and they’re pretty positive”.
Most popular
Alastair Campbell’s Diary: Disappointing Greta Thunberg and a night out with the Kinnocks
Mandrake: Facing the fury of Nadine Dorries
