"In fifty years, everything will have to be inspected"

This was the overly optimistic message on one of the five 125-year-old documents found in the globe beneath the steeple cock of the Church of Our Lady of the Presentation in the Small Beguinage in Ghent.

The largely 17th-century Church of Our Lady of the Presentation in the Small Beguinage, Our Lady ter Hoyen, located on Lange Violettestraat in Ghent, was once again due for restoration. After workers hoisted the globe beneath the tower's weather vane, they discovered six 125-year-old documents inside, dating from several 20th-century restoration campaigns: 1997, 1963, 1932, 1909, and 1900. One, possibly from 1889, was completely shredded. They include technical information about the work carried out, the names of various artisans, and thus form a bridge from the past to the present. It reminds us that even in the past, people were conscientious about preserving precious heritage. However, such documents are not unique. Though while not unprecedented in other churches, the discovery still carries an element of surprise. Soon, the globe will be hoisted back into its original position. A replica of the documents, along with a message for future generations from the church authorities and the current city council, will be placed inside.

The annually returning swifts will be unconcerned by the hustle and bustle around their church, as long as it falls outside the breeding season. And that is respected. Every two metres, holes are drilled in the gutters to allow the birds to continue accessing the cracks and crevices.