So - there we were a bunch of British soldiers sitting on the top of a mountain in S. Germany with skis on our feet!  We were participating in Ex-Snowqueen, and I had done so for 3 years - I had volunteered (which they say you should never do in the Army) and spent 3 months of every year down here. In fact they needed me for my German language skills to translate the ski instructor, a German called Max. I did this with pleasure and it was free! In later civilian life I was to live just down the road at Immenstadt-im-Allgau between fortnightly trips to our new home in Southern France.  It was an agreeable part of my life, much more so than my adventures in Northern Ireland of which I'm not allowed to talk, until 2025 When we left the Army, my wife went back to Guys Hospital, London and I didn't have much free time.......The British Civil Service required me! So off I went, to St. James's Square, Westminster and took up the job of assisting in the Dept of Employment's ...

This weekend the Germans will be celebrating the German reunification of East and West Germany.  When I had my dealings with it, that's the way it was! We (my deceased wife and I) lived and worked in Western Germany and West Berlin for over 25 years, personally firstly as a British Soldier then later in life as a Civilian, my wife as an SRN (Nurse) in a German hospital. That Germany was different to UK was clear - it still is - it's cleaner, neater,tidier people were nicer more affluent although they had suffered greatly in the 30's to the 50's. I'm talking here about the 1960's and we were still an 'occupying force'....... Of course in between, since 1945, we had installed ourselves well, golf courses - cricket matches - Supermarkets with bacon and sausage and Heinz beans...! Some of us had even made many friends in the local German population and we were looked at with suspicion by our colleagues. For my part, it had all started when, as a 18 ...

In a couple of weeks or so the big day arrives...... Whether I'll reach it or not is maybe open to debate, but it seems like just a couple of days ago it was the 50th! Even a Marquis has his date with the Grand Reaper, some time or other!  Sometimes, after a whole year 2016 of illnesses ranging from head to big toe, I think it is maybe time to say quietly 'adieu'. Only problem with that is that I still have so many things left to do just to make sure my compagnon is taken care of, well installed and generally OK......this means having dealings with  Health,  Tax, Bank, Insurances and a whole bunch of other things. Generally they always present a problem somewhere but have to be done and redone. Languages also are a problem, French is not so difficult, but you must either go out and about or listen/watch French TV/Radio then it will slowly come.... It is kind of necessary! Back in time without PC's and mod-coms, it was all somehow easier, nowadays people SMS or t...