Christmas at Gran's

Think this photo was taken just after midnight following the traditional Christmas Eve celebrations at Grans in Germany. I was not in the photo so was no doubt tucked up in bed, cuddling my Christmas present skis.

In the photo left to right: my mother Antoinette, grandmother, Adele and uncle Jochen. Mum, her elder brother Georg (not present) and Jochen are step brother/sister. My mother and Georg's father died of ill health in the 1930's and Adele had remarried as war broke out and Jochen was born but his father died on the Russian front.

They were a very close family until the 70' when Georg's Swedish wife, Stina died of illness and he remarried. Very sad and was to break Adele's heart along with the fact that she had to witness the burial of her own daughter in 1979. A tough lady who experienced many problems bringing up three young children in a war-torn country.

Adele couldn't speak any English and it was no doubt being with her on my holidays that I was forced to speak/learn German. Although only the basics, it was to be very useful when I quite unexpectedly was relocated to Germany in 1990 by my employer.

Even if she couldn't speak any English when she visited us after we had settled in the UK in 1970, she liked watching English TV and her favourite programme was "Dad's Army".