Journal written mainly in pencil by Anne Richardson (Ricky) who went again to Lorbach/Koeln with School party in 1955:

DIARY OF EVENTS DURING VISIT TO GERMANY 1953.

Siehe hierzu auch: "Bericht über Jugendaustausch Köln Redditch".

July 30th - August 14th.

Journey: Leave Redditch 8 o’clock am.
Harris (Robert) was late so left at 8.45 am. Stop at nearest garage with puncture. Leave Redditch 9.5 am. Stop at a town somewhere near Oxford. Eat dinner in bus. Reach Dover only to see boat disappearing through harbour. We have instructions to see Dover and quite a few of us went to see “Quo Vadis” at the Granada. We wandered up to Marine Station. Ate chips and met an American just returned from Korea. Boat came in 1.0 am. Customs all O.K. Cold and windy.

July 31st.
Leave boat at 5 o’clock and after going through Customs enter train for Aachen. Play Monopoly and eat biscuits. Through Customs at Aachen, R. Chambers had to open his case and pay on his coffee. Travel by coach to Lorbach hostel. Have a cubicle with Pat (Cunningham). Both top bunks. Quite comfortable really. Bread, butter and jam.
Write a letter to Mummy & Daddy in the evening. The German children come and we have Fritz’s sister Karen Friedberg and Lizel. They are very nice.  - Thank goodness the journey is over!

August 1st.
The butterflies are numerous. Sunny and warm. Pretty flowers. Got up at 7.30 and had breakfast of bread and jam and tea - horrid. Go for a long walk through a village. We stopped to examine an excavation of a Roman building and pipeline.
Dinner was of warm milk and uncooked ham. In the afternoon I went with some to the “Gasthaus” and met a German man who spoke English. He had been a prisoner of war in Derby. After tea we danced on the heather and sang. After a quite nice dinner we went to the “Gasthaus” again Hat some “drinks” and walked home to Hostel. Bed early and tried to sleep. All quiet at 10.30 pm.

August 2nd.
Get up at 4 o’clock and have breakfast of bread & butter and coffee. Go by bus to the Nurburgring where we watch the races (German Grand Prix). Race begins at 9.30. We see Mike Hawthorne, Stirling Moss and Farina.
I buy a little cap and a badge, also some chocolate. The track is a wide road which wends for 20 miles round the mountains. We had a good view of two roads and a hairpin bend. A lovely day, scorching hot. Drink Coca Cola and also try a German sausage. Have cakes in the bus - Good! Home and bed, very tired.

August 3rd.
Keitha’s Birthday (Keitha Burns), the Germans sing a birthday song. Food is improving. Go another walk. We went to some caves called the Kakus Hole. A legend about Hercules and a Giant.
Have an egg on toast also Lemonade. Very tiring. Free afternoon. Were not allowed out in the evening but one boy got out of the bedroom window with Harris & Co. and went to the “Gasthaus”. Bed early.

August 4th.
Karen’s Birthday. Flowers are placed in a circle round the dishes and plates and also in the saucer. We had a free afternoon. If I remember correctly I went a walk somewhere.
After tea: go a walk in the forest nearby. The forester has a whistle like the sound of a deer. We do not see anything but only an ants’ nest - it was huge. We all were tired. Didn’t do much in the evening. Very hot but damp.

August 5th.
Did our duties. I had none so I went a walk with others up to our dancing place. Went a walk to the old lead mines. Very hot. In the afternoon I go and sit down up the lane. The weather was scorching and very tiring. We have some free time.
Have bacon and egg for supper with hot tea. Quite a change. Go and watch the football match. We walk home in the rain. When we get home there is some hot tea and some bread and butter. Go to bed. Very tired. Ann Spencer and J (Joan) Led bury go to the forest to watch deer. We lost our match 6-1.

August 6th.
Clean the bedroom and toilet. Go for a long walk. We come back separately. For dinner we had beans, meat and potatoes. In the afternoon we have free time so we go and sit up on the bank and talk. After tea we sing and dance. Gay Gordons, Dashing White Sergeant, “Eins, zwei, drei” and Mudavitch. Quite good. After supper of tomatoes and cheese with bread, we had a film show. Views of the Eifel and Monschau. Also a film of some comic story.

August 7th.
Wake up early. Have breakfast of cold hard-boiled egg and rolls. Set off for a grand tour of the Eifel and surrounding country. National costume: short, puffed-sleeved white blouse, black velvet bodice, full print skirt, Juliet cap with brooch, socks and shoes. Washing laid out flat to dry. Level crossing gates rise upwards. We have dinner at a Youth Hostel. Go to an open-air swimming pool. Come home via some lovely lakes. Buy some chocolate and a brooch. Visit a monastery. Buy Mummy a heart necklace. Plums and cake for supper.

August 8th.
No duties this morning. Help kartoffel peeling. Don’t go on the walk. Very warm. Play cards with Janet Clifton and Rodney. Go down to the shop. In the afternoon we were free. Sit down in the sun; I get quite brown. In the evening sit down and talk to Pat and Pip (Valerie). I go a short walk with R (Bob) Chambers - he is getting me some cigs for Daddy. Quite hot, very dry.

August 9th.
Walk to Mechernich to church. I thought it was very contrary. We stood up to say prayers and for the reading. We sat for the singing of the few hymns. When we returned, the visitors had already arrived. Dinner with peaches afterwards. We met our friends, and he, Georg Blum and his wife took snaps of us. Party was a wash-out. That awful red-haired kid played his flute. After supper we went a walk and then danced... .the Military Two Step and the Valeta. Nice day!

August 10th.
Last day at Lorbach. Wake up early. Traipse for miles to see the Lead Mines, the largest in Europe. The furnaces were scorching, the dust plenteous. Home first to a dinner of kartoffels, Fleisch and sausages with plums. Pack in the afternoon. Tired. The sun is boiling - very dry. Go for a walk with some, sit and sunbathe. Pack again after tea. Supper. Come in after a walk  at 9 o’clock. Pack our bags, bed early.

August 11th.
Go to Cologne. Wake up at 6.30. Breakfast of rolls and apricot jam. Nice. By foot to Mechernich - By train to KoIn. See the Cathedral, very beautiful. Go with Rosel, her house is very nice. Dinner. Go to Koeln with Rosel and Pat and Elsa. Buy some stockings and jeans. Spend 60 Pf to walk 501 steps to the top of the cathedral. A lovely place - view wonderful. Meet Rodney and Klaus and Miss Jones. After tea we go to Elsa’s for a walk. Have a bath. Bed at 10.00. Very hot.

August 12th.
Wake up at 9.0. Very hot. Egg and rolls and coffee. Catch train to Köln. By coach to Dusseldorf. We visit the house of Heinrich Heine. Good. Dinner in a restaurant. Apfelsaft und Limonade. Sit by R. in coach. It is very hot. Walk round an old castle; eat ice cream. Wear large slippers in a castle because of fine floor. Walk in park. Home for 6.30 pm. Nice. Go with Rosel and Karen Groh to the Tanzbrunnen. Wonderful band, dance floor on the water. Floodlit flowers and fountains. Drink white wine. Dance with a stranger who speaks EngIish. Slow foxtrot, different from English. Home for 12.0 mid. Very tired but lovely day.

August 13th.
Last day in Cologne. Hot. Go to the Genterschule for a reception from the Burgermaster, with cakes and cocoa. We receive a book on Cologne. Rodney took a photo of me. Bought some cigars for Daddy - 5. Also Coca Cola - 3 bottles.
Go swimming in the afternoon to the Stadion. We meet R and Klaus but it pours with rain so we come home. Buy ice-cream. After a tea, tomatoes and cheese and egg, we talk and listen to B.B.C. England. Drink Coca Cola. Then pack my things. Rosel buys me some cheese. Very nice.

August 14th.
Journey.
Wake up 4.30 am. Egg. Leave KoIn at 6.3Oam. Train at 7.30. Tears and farewells. Quite comfortable really. Almost ate my food. Boat at  1.00 pm. All to schedule, etc.  Boat left Ostende 2 o’clock. Drink Coca Cola. Lounge around on top deck. Hot lovely crossing.  Arrive Dover 6 o’clock. Board coach. Through London. Stop for tea at a Transport Cafe at 11. o’clock. Stratford at 2.0 am. Sleep for 1/2 hour on the back seat with Janet C.
Arrive Redditch at (probably 2.30) a.m..
 
This journal was typed up in September 2011, 58 years later, when Ricky lives in New Zealand and is still close friends with Pip (Valerie), David and Rodney in England. Rodney Wigglesworth was my “boyfriend” at the time, both aged just 14yrs on 2nd & 3rd July respectively.

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