In a city as self-consciously chic and sleek as Antwerp, the term "boutique hotel" holds even more of a fervent grip on the popular imagination. Where other tourist destinations might be able to offer a certain level of boutiquerie simply with the introduction of a shearling rug or some chrome taps, a hostelry set in the heartland of fashionable minimalism has a bit more to live up to.

Though often a controversial figure, the Flemish writer, director and graphic artist Hugo Claus was rarely overtly political. His sympathies were with the underdog, but he never descended to agitprop. Claus was the recipient of seven state prizes in Belgium and in 1986 was awarded the prestigious Prize for Dutch Literature. Harry Mulisch, the only other living writer in Dutch to be tipped for the Nobel Prize, called Claus "a great figure", while the poet Remco Campert described him as "the greatest writer of my generation".

MANCHESTER UNITED and the Belgian club Royal Antwerp will go to law to try to lift a worldwide life ban on the young United player, Ronnie Wallwork, although they may have to settle for a four-year suspension.

MORE THAN 50 years after the Allied liberation of Belgium, the country's two linguistic communities, the Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons, are embroiled in a rancorous feud over who collaborated with the Nazis, and more compellingly, why.

Letter from a low country

Three British divers were yesterday said to be doing well at a medical unit in Belgium after getting into difficulties off the Kent coast.

Planted snowdrops in silver-painted crates, from pounds 65 (pounds 360 for arrangement shown), from Kenneth Turner, 125 Mount Street, London W1, 0171 355 3880

One OF the advantages of such a small country as Belgium is that it never takes any time to get anywhere. If you find yourself tiring of the coachloads of tourists in Bruges, you can easily pop across to the other Flemish cities of Belgian Flanders which in many respects are equally intriguing, if not quite as picturesque.

Industrial decay is no match for Flemish splendours, reports Sarah Helm in Brussels

Sir: My thanks to Andrew Reid (Letters, 12 March) who clearly took the time to read Sir James's letter to the candidates and supporters of the Referendum Party in Monday's newspaper. As president of the Young Conservative Group for Europe, Mr Reid must firmly believe that the British people's interests are best served by the Maastricht treaty and the creation of a federal Europe. Why then is he so opposed to a referendum?

A big city with economic problems and simmering social resentments. A y oung, charismatic leader. A recipe for right-wing extremism, and it's winning v otes. Jeremy Langdon reports `The Vlaams Blok is saying what a lot of people in this city are thinking' `The Jewish population have woken up. They are very wary'

THE MOST cheerful finish of the year so far came in a game from the oddly named Lost Boys Tournament in Antwerp earlier this month. The title is a mystery: the players were not particularly young, no more lost than usual, and there was no obvious connection with Peter Pan. The late William Winter, a British international of 50 years ago, was the nephew of J M Barrie, but I doubt the Belgians knew that.

THIS is an edited extract from the GMTV interview: