Germany and School
Introduction
Having been giving our marching orders again and this time it was to Germany in the Jan of 1963. One of those notoriously cold winters. Dad had been posted as a Sector Controller working out of Brockzetel.
 
Arrival
Our journey consisted of Rail to Heathrow catching a flight to Hanover. The landing at Hanover was delayed because an earlier flight had left the runway in the bad weather. When we did land and having passed through customs we travelled to Wilhelmshaven by train and road to our new home - 3 Beton Strasse, Upjever.
 
School
Being a day pupil at a boarding school has its drawback mainly because can never get really involved as those pupils that are there all the time.

Another initial problem was that I was in my GCE year and having moved from Thirsk which was covered by the NUJMB exam board and PRS was covered by the London University Exam board. The real problem was that the syllabus was different as the subjects I was studying was different. When It came to the Biology and Chemistry exams in June the school did not, nor was it prepared for the practical, as the London Board did not have a practical section in their exams, so I failed having been unable to complete both parts of the exam. Still that's life roaming the world but all was not lost as I could repeat my 5th year at PRS and do the London exam.

As time went by I got more involved by being made a Monitor which required duties in the house and later being assigned a room allowing me to get more involved in after school activities such as scouting. One of the niggles of being a day pupil spending the intermittent occasions as a boarder was not always knowing the unwritten rules as demonstrated the time I asked a young lady to the school cinema. After the film started I put my arm around her shoulders only to be spotted by a member of staff who separated us and caused both of us no end of embarrassment, more so for the young lady as she was a boarder but I could go home.

On another occasion I got my self all embarrassed as I had missed the early part of the Biology syllabus and as I had no classes at that time I was asked by the Biology teacher to go and collect Male Sticklebacks from the lake. Having gone out to complete the task discovered I could not tell the difference much to the amusement of the 4th formers. Never did find out the difference until the internet came along.

Also when it came to sports I had never played football as all my previous schools I had played Rugby so I was allowed to go swimming in Wilhelmshaven - with the girls - but as I could not join in I was left to my own devices and met a young German teenager (Jutte L) that always managed to be at the pool at the right time.

In 1964 there was the first 6th Form conference to be held at Aylesbury with delegates from all over Europe. Not only did we view various places such as Coventry cathedral and the hospital at Stoke Mandeville but also to debate various world issues.

Eventually it was time for me to leave and in my last year I was awarded the Cavaliers Prize (July 1965) for contributions to the school.

 
Outside of school
Cinema
As a day pupil I had a life outside of school and one such activity was unofficially working as a projectionist at the RAF Astra Cinema at the weekends and later on all days when I did not have school. This lead to several incidents but notably I was on duty the Friday that Kennedy was shot so I had to interrupt the programme to announce his demise and allow the Americans to leave if they so wished.

On another occasion because the 6th Form exam set book was Tom Jones so I arranged and for them to see the film as we had it at the Cinema at that time.

I enjoyed the role for the years that I was at Jever and I was in this situations thanks to a friend that had shown and taught me how to operate the big Vulcan carbon Arc projectors that used the 35mm film rather then the smaller 26mmas at Jever.

Rugby
It was not long after I arrived in Germany and once it was known I played rugby I was selected to play for a German Junior League (under 21) Team at SC Varel at the weekends. I travelled all over Germany except Hamburg which my Father would never allow. The highest we got was the runners up one year loosing to a team in Hanover.

On another occasion we played our game and following the apres games drink had a little to much to drink and could not find the car to take us home. After wandering around the town for about 3 hours using our broken German and getting nowhere we found the car outside the pub we had been drinking in.

Woods
As passing rights to growing up I remember taking a walk in the woods with a young lady who was at school in Reading studying art and trying to persuade her to take her clothes off but got no further than her bra and panties despite my encouragement using art as the excuse to get her clothes off.

Departure
Eventually my father was posted home to England and to Brampton which signalled my time to leave home which I duly did by getting a place at The Royal Agricultural College, however, I had to do 2 years practical backed up with a daily diary. The first year was at the Bedford Council farm at Cardington (now a Science Park).

 
 
E & O E - please note that this is written many years after the event.
Return to Lens Anecdote Index