Train travel in Germany

Train Travel in Germany

I don’t know Michael Portillo,but he sure keeps me entertained on Saturday night SBS TV,with his train travels through Europe.From Dresden in the south to Hamburg in the north,with his colourful range of jackets from lime green to scarlet red this man would have to be an extravert.

My last visit to Germany was in 1960 cycling through Lower Saxony with three rugby mates,on our summer trip from London to Oslo. We left Delfzijl in Holland and passed through Wilmshaven, Bremerhaven,Hamburg and Lubeck,battling headwinds on our second hand British bikes,staying at Youth Hostels and living on a diet of brot and strube.

This time it could be quite different,following Michaels’s model most of the travel could be by Deutsch Bahn,sitting in a comfortable seat being propelled at speed,enjoying a beer and possably chatting to other travelers.

My planned trip could start in Hamburg,visiting the sights and calling on Horst and Evelyn,old woolclassing mates in Balmstedt,

I have discovered an antropoligical site at Schoningen,where four ancient wooden spears found in an opencut mine are about 400,000 years old,this Saxon settlement is thought to date back to 737AD. I can get there by train to Helmstedt and possably by bus to the site,where a museum opened in 2013. Its called the Palaon,,the rear of the building overlooks the existing coal mine.

I am heading in a southeasterly direction,hoping to meet son Josh and partner Lin at Wartburg Castle in Luther country.near the town of Eisenach.

This UNESCO listed castle,founded by Ludwig der springer,and first mentioned in 1080, commands a hilltop view.

Martin Luther arrived in May 1521,excommunicated by the Roman Catholic church and declared a  heretic,he spent  14 months translating the  new testament from Greek to German vernacular for Protestants .After exploring the town the plan is to head south to the Thuringia Forest where there is a 168 km historic path wending its way through pine,birch and larch forests  called Rennsteig  it receives heavy snow falls in winter.There a several small villages to explore, Horschel ,Schmalkalden and Baumkronenpfad.

Heading further south east we should explore Leipzig,where Michael got a tour of the railway station.This city was controlled by the GDR till 1989 so is now casting off the communist regime . There are opera house Museums and Markets to explore.

We are now heading north east to Wittenberg or as it is now known as Lutherstadt,on the banks of the Elbe river,where  in 1508 the Augustinian monk Martin Luther arrived to study at the university. There is a marketplatz with a statue of Luther,a Lutherhaus ,and a collection of treasures including Luther’s desk,pulpit,first editions of his books and paintings.

Its now back on the train for a 90 ks ride to Berlin.Where we will have to organize accomadation,possibly Airbnb,tours of the city,cycle hire and visits to the Reichstag,

Brandenburg Gate, and the remains of the Berlin Wall,not forgetting to sample the Bratworst.

High on my list of things to see are some of Albert Speer’s architecture,the 1936  Olympic stadium,where my uncle David visited for the Olympic games.Also the inner suburbs of Schonberg, Mitte,Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain..The Horshoe Estate built in 1925 ,designed in the shape of a horseshoe by architect Bruno Taut holds some fascination.How do the Germans design and build such innovative architecture,whereas we conform to the same rectangular shapes.

Could we also experience a swim in the River Spree ? but by this time the weather could be getting colder, also a visit to Tiergarten and Potsdam are essential    If time allows I would like to see Haus am Bogensee Villa  ,located on 17 hectares of forested land located near Wandlitz  15ks north of Berlin and once the home of Dr Gobbles.                             .Auf Wiedersehen  !!!                     

GRUNFLACHE

A new Australian invention ,called a Harrington Seed Destructor has just been released after 5 years trial.Because weeds contain a gene resistant to herbacide Glycosate there is a need for addition action to destroy them.Farmers for years have relied on Roundup ready to kill annual Rye grass,Wild Radish and Broom grass.
Ray Harrington a grain farmer from Western Australia has studied this problem which was consuming much time energy and money,so he devised a machine that can be retro fitted to harvesters,that pulvarises these seed weeds after passing through a cage mill while harvesting ,so over a period they finally disapear from regrowing.
The Harrington Seed Destructor is being manufactured at de  Bruin Engineering  255/261  Commercial Street in Mt Gambier South Australia  Phone 61 88721 3000 and sells for A$100,000
Experimental work is taking place at Bayer Frankfurt due to a co-operative GRDC five year $45 million agreement between Australian grain grower and Bayer called Herbacide Inovation where post graduate Australian scientists are working with company scientists to resolve weed problems.
Trials are continuing at Horsham in Victoria.

Grainfed Grandfather Tim

N X 14522

Fred joined the A.I.F. at Paddington with Slop Arnott in 1940.He trained with the 2/5th Field Regiment(  Gunners ) wheras Slop joined the Cavalry.Dad  did his training at Holdsworthy and Bathurst.They were sent to Syria to fight the French.

 .

He and Slop spent their leave in Tel Aviv drinking beer and talking.

Because a gunners life was pretty tough ,digging trenches and being bombed by an opposition airforce ,so at 42 years of age he transferred to the Australian Canteen Service ,when he returned to Australia.

He was sent to Rockhampton  Queensland to manage the depot there.

 discharge cert.

Dad's medals included the Africa star,a six pointed star,granted for operations in North Africa from June 1940 to May 1943,of yellow copper-zinc alloy.The 1939-1945 6 point star design is copper zinc alloy with a ribbon of dark blue representing naval forces and merchant marine a red stripe army and light blue for the air force.

Defence medal awarded for 6 months service  in Syria incorporating areas subject to enemy air attack.This medal is cupro nickle. King George v1 ribbon is orange, green outer stripes representing the islands of the UK,black for blackouts.

The AIF kit bag was first issued in 1914,made of canvas,and used a pillow at times.The Australian war memorial is unable to name the designer or details if it is still issued to our troops. the units color patch was dark brown, red and green ,which Dad said symbolised "through the Mud and Blood to the Greenfields of victory

In 1945 Mum took Lindsey and me to Rockhampton by train, a distance of 1,300 kilometres It was a three day trip,requiring we change trains in Brisbane,.as the Queensland rail guage is narrower than NSW for the trip to Rockhampton.

We stayed at Yeppoon beside the beach about 30 k's from Rockhampton,living in a house next door to the Far West home run by Matron Jacobson,the next town was Emu Park.

Dad had some friends from the American Canteen Service called Scoff and Hovey who would call occasionally.

I spent my time digging tunnels under the lawn in the backyard,when the ground caved in I think I was unpopular.Dad collected us after the holiday in a Army truck,and was driving back to Rockhampton when we were stopped by the Military Police.Mum was in the front cabin and Lin and I were in the back with the spare wheel.

This may have ended Dad's career in the Army.

When he was discharged from the Army he used his defered pay to buy an X Army disposal International  truck,probably over a ton, metal cabin and canvas top over a timber back,with dual back wheels.

This was to be his work horse for the next 7 years.

Because of his prewar experience in the motor trade and his connections with Charlie Price,a spare parts traveller,he established a auto spare parts supply in the north of the state of NSW.

Travelling north on the Pacific Highway he established customers in garages,and motor repair organisations up to Murwillumbah in the north of the state.Because auto spare parts were in short supply at this time he had eager customers along the way.His return journey was down the New England Highway commencing at Tenterfield.

On one trip he took me along a 14 year old. At Taree he was serving a customer,and asked me to park the truck,which was old and cantankerous.

The ring gear on the starter motor was worn and damaged,if the motor started with the first depression of the starter pedal,fine. But if the ring gear didn't engage, you had to put your toe under the starter pedal,lift the lever and start again.

This day I started the motor, engaged 1st gear,after a double shuffell,this was not a synchromesh gear box,let out the clutch,edging forward to a parking spot a few meters ahead.

The town at the time had veranda posts supporting street awnings,customary in old Australian towns.

Because of inexperience,as I edged the truck into the parking spot,because of the camber of the road,the front left mudguard hit an upright post,damaging it. 

What was I to say to my father ?

I found him down the street,and said " Are you feeling strong " ?

He took it well,and instead of bursting into anger,came back to the truck to examine the damage.

When in Sydney Dad stayed at 16 Milson Road Cremorne with his Aunt Scott. This was a solid old two story brick building on the shores of Sydney Harbor,divided into two flats.Upstairs were Bunty and Neil an elderly retired couple,Neil had a thick Scottish accent,its possible he spent time in the navy.

Downstairs lived aunt Scott and uncle Jack,Dad's mum's sister.

The only thing separating the property from the water was a concrete walkway which connected Mosman Bay with Neutral Bay. There was also a swimming pool constructed in the harbor.

The Scott's flat had a large living room French windows on to a large wide veranda overlooking the harbor. Three bedrooms a small old kitchen and a tiny dining room.

There was a sandstone basement incomplete with no electric lighting,where Dad stored his automobile spare parts.

When he was preparing for another trip to the country,I would travel by ferry on Sunday to help load the truck,this involved carrying rolls of brake lining ,cartons of grease nipples and brass fittings up the path,then up the stairs to where the truck was parked in Milson Road.

There were no shelves in the truck, we talked about fitting them as it would make storage and access easier,but it never happened.So cartons were placed on top of one another,you required a good memory to know where parts were located.

I was 15 at the time,my sister never came,sometimes we worked till 7pm without completing the job.

Then aunt Scott would give us dinner,always two courses,main meal meat and two veg.followed by sweets,often with ice cream.

It was Dad's job to wash up,and mine to dry.

This was a very slow process, for some reason Dad would meticulous scrub each piece,spoon, fork, knife,plate and bowl,while I would stand waiting ,flicking the tea towel,and chatting to aunt Scott.

Aunt Scott would sometimes talk about her childhood,living on a farm at Twist creek, Yackandanda
Victoria where they grew tobacco and employed Chinese labor. Dad would then walk me down to the ferry warf for my trip home to Double Bay.

These were not joyful times for my father,he was going through a divorce,had very little social life,few friends,and his job took him away to the country for months at a time,staying in third rate hotels, the only thing that kept him going was he was starting to make money,a commodity that had eluded him for years.He also made friends with some of his customers who were probably returned service men and they would share a bond over a beer at the local hotel or RSL after work.
On Anzac day the 2/5th Field regiment held its reunion in the basement of the Town Hall.There beer would be drunk stories rekindled,including how the unit repaired Dad piles by turning him upside down to do the job.


Photo of Dad escorting Lindsey down the isle at St Marks Church Darling Point, at her marriage to
Warren Wright

Probably his proudest moment..He is wearing a new suit purchased for the occasion.

When Aunt Scott died in 1959,Dad had to find somewhere to live.and he choose where he spent his weekends as a youth,HARBORD
Hey presto 31 Hill street,possibley the oldest timber house in the suburb,very decrepid,very cheap.





Photo of Dad's Peaugot 202 car. The original owner was the Gillette company. The car was sold to me by John Cunningham a sales representative. I had the car for several years when working in shearing sheds. It had a fourth gear or overdrive which allowed the car to maintain a high speed on long trips to and from the country. Because of its suspension it also allowed one to take sharp corners at speed. The car developed rust and was in need of maintenance when I sold it to Don McLarty a grazier. He had the car extensively repaired including its universal, differential and the rust problem. So when Dad bought the car's its condition was vastly improved, except for the exhaust system which sounded raucous.

Once while driving home to Harbord, Dad noticed a Police officer following him, he was heading downhill to the Spit Bridge so very little acceleration, once he got on to lever road and then up the hill on the other side he had to accelerate, with the result the exhaust sound began to crackle

The Police officer pulled him over, and pointed to the exhaust, Dad played deaf, the officer asked what he had been doing and Dad responded with showing his pick and shovel in the back of the car.

Not satisfied that Dad understood the problem he got down on the roadway and pointed up at the exhaust, indicating it needed repairing. Not only did Dad not get a ticket (infringement notice ) but he had a chuckle on his way home.

                                Stuart Wright and Fred Williams . Middle grandchild.

Round 1965 I bought a house in Foam st Harbord and Fred sold his Hill street house and bought at auction 3/5 Morrell street Woollahra another timber ruin. The family helped him demolish these two houses and have Peter Hall design an attractive 3 bedroom courtyard house. He attempted to build it himself but realised the task was too great and had it built by a builder after some difficulties.

The final result was a glassed walled interior looking into grassed courtyard,white painted brickwork,polished timber floors,open fireplace and tiled roof.With a double garage on to the street and brick wall along the front boundary.A design all the family liked.Some time later Fred bought a private company Camera reproductions,to use as an investment vehicles.One of their investments was The Beef Machine.

 

 Round 1984 after my divorce I thought it a good idea to take all the family,Josh,Guy,sister Lin and father Fred to see New Zealand utilising a camper van to travel the North and South island,during the school summer holidays as a way of forging closer relations. 

We hired the van in Auckland and set off north for Russell and the bay of Islands,finally reaching Cape Reanger,turning south we called at most big cities. Including Invercargill in the south of the South Island.

Photos of van trip

At age 85,1987,he and his close neighbour in Spicer street, Mrs Mardi Tarlinton took a flight to London and visited all his previous old haunts,they visited Europe and used the trains as their hotel,boarding late evening and travelling sleeper class overnight,next day disembarking in a different city,and repeating the exercise for several weeks.

The following year Fred came to Hawkesbury Agricultural College on open day,where I was retraining taking a Horticulture certificate,which he enjoyed.

In 1988 at age of 86 dad died at his home in morrell st.