Page 48 - My Story

Peter, meanwhile, sitting on the London train, had found an old friend. He was staring at the
man across from him, wondering whether he knew him or not when the man looked up and said, “Percy?”
which was the name Peter was known by at school. Peter said, “Tony?” and there were our ready-made
Pyrford friends, the Budds, who were living just a short walk from our house, having just returned from
America. Peter and Tony had been friends at school. Their two girls had been in England at boarding
school while they were away, so they were not struggling to get used to England again.

Peter moved to Germany, this time close to Karlsruhe. The Singer office was in a place called
Blankenloch – bare hole – and that’s what it was. There was nothing there. He found us a house to live
in in a village called Busenbach. There wasn’t much there, either. Still, we were almost in the Black Forest
so scenically it was lovely, and the children were blissfully happy, even though I kept reminding them, “It
is only for three years”.

We moved after Christmas. Helen and Susan immediately started at a brand-new Gymnasium at
Langensteinbach. They rode their bikes there every morning. Hilary and Toby were at the Volkschule in
Busenbach. Toby had some catching up to do because although the German children started school a
year later than the English they set to and learn to write cursive and read within the first semester. Toby
had been freewheeling in England and he and I had to settle down every afternoon to schoolwork to catch
up with his grade. We did it within about six weeks.

I had noticed a kind of laundromat on the street where we lived and, used to having my sheets
laundered and ironed, went in to make enquiries. My question was met with a cool stare and the words,
“Why, don’t you have a washing machine?” That put me in my place!

I got a job teaching English with Berlitz and had some interesting students. There was a nice
group of people from Pfizer pharmaceuticals and a man who was director, or maybe owner, of an
appliance business. He was shocked when he heard that I didn’t have a dishwasher and went about
procuring one for me. Then there was the restaurateur who owned an amazing fish restaurant on the
banks of a river. His hobby was wine, and he went to wine auctions, purchasing very rare and expensive
wines which he would bring in for me to taste. As his lessons were usually 8.30 am it was hard to get past
the taste of toothpaste. He was a good student and learned conversational English fairly quickly, then to
prove it went off on a vacation to Thailand! He came back very pleased with himself, he had proven that
English was an international language. Everyone had understood him and he them. He brought me back
a beautiful bracelet to show his appreciation.

The children were very happy in Busenbach. They all had friends. I was a bit miserable because
I missed the friends and neighbours of Wehrheim and Bad Homburg.

Hank and Anna Lisa came to visit. I sent Toby out to await their arrival, but they missed each
other. We were all chatting when Toby came racing in and said to them, “Did you see that little boy sitting
on the steps of the church?” They chorused, “No”. “That was me,” he said. You have to know that Toby
looked angelic with a mass of blonde curls, huge grey eyes and a sweet smile. Who could resist him?

Toby learned a new kind of street German and in September 1973 Hilary started at the Langensteinbach
Gymnasium with the other two girls. As it was a new school Helen’s was the most senior class and she
was head girl.

So everything was going swimmingly when Singer announced that the factory and office in Blankenloch
would be relocated. Peter was on his way back to England.

…….To be continued.

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