The smell of sweet honey, balloons, bees, gingerbread, a fairytale forest, a bird garden and dancing fountains. Youth sentiment: the Melipark in Adinkerke. An amusement park with the theme of bees and honey, opened in 1935. Anyone who was on the Belgian coast in the fifties, sixties and seventies has undoubtedly visited it. And then the amusement park, the bees and the honey disappeared. Bought by Studio 100 in 1999 and absorbed by Plopsaland De Panne.
Alberic-Joseph Florizoone
Alberic-Joseph Florizoone is the fifth son in a family of twenty children, fifteen of whom survive. Father Florizoone was a hardworking farmer who had little understanding for the soft-hearted behavior of his son who wanted to become a beekeeper at all costs. Yet Alberic-Joseph Florizoone pushed through his will. He was truly passionate about his profession. He sold his honey and told people more about its production. At that time, honey was a product that had not yet really become common among ordinary people. Only the rich bought it occasionally.
1934: the origins of the Meli
Alberic-Joseph Florizoone was a beloved person. When he sold his honey and told his jokes, people hung on his every word for hours. In 1934 he decided to buy a piece of polder land near Adinkerke where he could sell his honey and tell people more about beekeeping and honey production. To entertain the children, a merry-go-round was also installed and some animals walked around. The place was named MELI, an anagram of the French miel (honey). Only later did he discover that meli is also the Greek word for honey. On Easter Day 1935, April 21 to be precise, the Melipark officially opened its doors.
1952: Melipark expands
In 1952 the Melipark expanded. A water feature was added, with a bird garden. There are many exotic birds in the bird garden, such as flamingos and pelicans. The city children in particular were amazed. The main building was renovated and the Fairytale Forest was built. The replica of the charming village of Hamelin was particularly popular with the general public. Children loved peeking into the cottage and admiring the fairytale scenes. A witch flew over the heads of the visitors, giggling loudly and a little further away the giant was sleeping peacefully.
Expo 58
In 1958, Mr. Florizoone took part in Expo ’58 in Brussels. In his pavilion a show with the wonderful Bijenkorf, a walking attraction through the bee world. A week after the opening, none other than Walt Disney himself came to take a look. He was not very friendly. He just came to see if Florizoone had not taken too much from his attraction: the Circarama in the American pavilion. However, it was all fine, and Alberic-Joseph Florizoone was allowed to keep his attraction open. Further in the pavilion: an extensive honey stand, a cafeteria and the dancing fountains.
The sixties: the high point
The sixties were truly the glory years of the Melipark. School trips were regularly organized to the park, the French crossed the border to spend a day strolling around the family park and the English came over in buses and stayed until late at night to enjoy the magical lighting. The children enjoyed the attractions. Many returned every year and found their favorite attraction again and again.
Late 1970s: the demise of the Melipark
Competition from Bellewaerdepark and Bobbejaanland
In 1979 there was a major fire in the park. In addition, the amusement park also faced major competition from the neighboring Bellewaerdepark, founded by Alberic-Joseph Florizoone’s half-brother, and from Bobbejaanland in Lichtaart. The park was modernized. The Expo 58 exhibition was cleaned up and given the name Apirama. They took a dark ride through a beehive in a boat. You made a wasp attack and took a look at the bee nursery. You participated in the summer festival and greeted the queen bee.
The Melibijtje
The Melibijtje was created for the opening of the Apirama. The bee with the magic wand became the logo of the Melipark and also appeared on the Meli products. You could buy them at the exit of the park. Delicious honey of course, gingerbread with honey, royal jelly, honey sweets, etc. Later, honey with chocolate was also made. A success!
Park expansion
There was also a pirate boat, a flying carpet, roller coasters, a lookout tower and the Tuf-Tuf-Express. With this train you could ride through the park and watch the goats and deer roaming free. The animals were so tame that they regularly came to get food from visitors and it sometimes happened that an animal jumped on the train. And then there was the Splash. From a medieval castle you slide down a river. In those days, a trip to an amusement park was quite an experience and people often wore their Sunday clothes. They were not always happy with the water on their nice clothes!
There were also many small attractions throughout the park, to the delight of young and old! There was a game with water jets and balls, a fun park, a money donkey that dropped chocolate coins, the dancing red shoes, a camel race like now at the fair, a maze in the shape of a seahorse, a paper eater and of course the singing and dancing fountains. A real attraction at that time!
1990s: formidable competition and sale to Studio 100
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris opened in France in 1990. A formidable competitor for the small family amusement park. In Paris everything was clean and commercial. Shiny and spectacular attractions welcomed visitors. Adinkerke had to make do with outdated attractions that were starting to show signs of wear and tear.
Sale to Studio 100
In 1992 Alberic-Joseph Florizoone died. His children took over the amusement park, but the soul and enthusiasm were not there. The family was on the brink of bankruptcy and with pain in their hearts they decided to sell the amusement park to Studio 100. This turned it into Plopsaland De Panne. Soon the gnomes Plop, Kwebbel, Klus and Lui and Samson and Gert replaced the bees. Only the house at the entrance to the former fairytale forest has been preserved and still houses a number of attributes from the fairytale forest. You can also watch a video of the Apirama and the Melipark in its heyday.
Meliproducts
The Meli products are still sold everywhere. A brand new, modern building was erected in Veurne, where the life’s work of Alberic-Joseph Florizoone is continued. In Mr Florizoone’s book ,Meli, my life, you can read all about his passion for bees, honey and the Melipark.
Fancy a little nostalgia? Then take a look at www.meli.be or www.meli-park.be. Videos, photos and brochures from the old box!