Figure 1.--he final picture finally has me looking happy but I well recall that this was because the boy's Mum suddenly squeezed my ribs at the point the father clicked the shutter and it tickled like anything.

The last picture of me in Germany finally has me looking happy, but I well recall that this was because the boy's Mum suddenly squeezed my ribs at the point the father clicked the shutter and it tickled like anything. As a boy I never liked having to stand still. That is why I look so miserable in the German photos. And this is why in the one here, the mother grabbed me to stop me running off--which got me smiling. The family I stayed with, and the mother in particular, were very kind to me. Somehow they realized that a boy my age away fom home for the first time and in a foreign country unable to speak the language would have some difficulties. One thing I remember about the German mother was that she did have a thing about not wearing outdoor shoes in the house. They were forever reminding me, via their son who had the best English that he was learning it at school, to take off my sandals when I went into the house. This was always done, however, in a gentle friendly way.

Friendly Squeeze

The last picture finally has me looking happy, but I well recall that this was because the boy's Mum suddenly squeezed my ribs at the point the father clicked the shutter and it tickled like anything. As a boy I never liked having to stand still. That is why I look so miserable in the German photos. This wasn't just in Germany either. Some of the photographs of me back in England are like that also. She was holding me so tight it really tickled.I don't think she did it deliberately, she was just tensing up as the camera went off but my expression is a real contrast to that in the other shots where I was bored and wanted to go and play, not just sit there for some old photos.

My Shirt

I note that there were only two buttons on that shirt so it was worse than I thought. I also remember that that shirt was of very tightly woven material and at some point I snagged it on a wire fence and a big ladder appeared in it which eventually became a hole so it wasn't very practical for a 10-year-old boy. Yet my school shirts lasted for ages and were probably a lot cheaper than these new “fashionable” garments that were coming out then.

My Hair

I also wrote above that we had similar hairstyles, which is true but his is neatly combed whereas without my mum there to chase me up I haven't bothered with a comb. Looking at these photographs, it looked like I never combed my hair.

Kindness

The family I stayed with, and the mother in particular, were very kind to me. Somehow they realized that a boy my age away fom home for the first time and in a foreign country unable to speak the language would have some difficulties. I want to make clear that although there were cultural differences the family (and their relatives) were very kind to me, even though, because of my age and being away from home for the first time, I was probably a bit of a handful.

House Slippers

One thing I remember about the German mother was that she did have a thing about not wearing outdoor shoes in the house. They were forever reminding me, via their son who had the best English that he was learning it at school, to take off my sandals when I went into the house. This was always done, however, in a gentle friendly way. They were surprised that I didn't have any house slippers - that they called "houseshoes" and offered to buy me some. I said I was happy in my stockinged feet in the house - not when I slipped on the kitchen floor though and broke a glass of orangeade I was carrying though! In the end if I wanted a drink or anything I'd let the German boy go in for it. I often forgot the rule if I was just nipping in to use the toilet, which was right next to the front door, and if his mum spotted me on the way back out me she'd wag her finger at me and point at my sandals and say "shoes" - ( I think the German word is similar or she'd learnt it especially for me !) but in a friendly way and with a smile and a shake of her head. The rule was similar at the boy's cousin's home, but again it wasn't treated as a major crime if I forgot - they must have known it took some getting used to.

Bill