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From the early hours of the morning until about 6pm each day, Nicholas Van Arkel takes pleasure in making people happy by standing on the busy road outside his home and waving at cars which pass him by. Ever since the death of his wife seven years ago, Mr Arkel lives alone and told the Gazette that making people smile is one of the most rewarding gifts. ‘‘The smiles on the faces of the children and adults make me feel special,’’ Mr Van Arkel said. ‘‘It’s the simple things in life that people remember and I’m sure if someone is having a bad day, a wave or a smile could change that. It makes me very happy to know that people appreciate my presence.’’ In the space of the half-hour the Gazette was there, 17 cars passed which both waved and beeped the horn at him. When asked if motorists do this on a regular basis, the 78-year-old smiled, nodded his head and said people even beep when he is inside. ‘‘If it’s getting dark, I go inside and can still hear the car horns every time some cars pass my house. Every time I hear that, I get a great sense of belonging.’’ He told the Gazette that since he started, he has also received two bunches of flowers which he took to Pitt Town Cemetery to lay on his wife’s grave. It takes Mr Van Arkel four and a half hours to walk to Pitt Town each week because he has no other way to get there. Known as Nick, he and his family of 10 migrated to the Hawkesbury from Holland more than 40 years ago and he has called it home ever since.

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