oldbrit
OldBrit in Exile
I would like to share an experience that I had yesterday whilst riding my bike on the trails in Parker, Co USA. I stopped at a rest area and a older man was there. We talked about his bike and then he said to me "Are you from England?" Even after these some 50+years my accent is still there. I said yes and then he said "How old are you?" Well, I do look like a old gezzer I guess! I said 78, 79 0n 7 June this year!. Then he told me that he was from Germany and that he was 75yrs old. We talked about this and that and he he said he came over to the USA in 1948 on a DC4 plane wth his family, settled in Chicago Ill, where there was a very large German population. Then he said" you know we lived in Berlin during the war when I was about 4yrs." The apartment building they lived in was bombed with a bomb going down the elevator shaft. Then we talked about the war. I remarked that pity our Grandfathers could not get along etc. I told him about my life in Yardley Brum and the near bombings. I was a little older than he, but we sure had a lot in commmon. Have to admit it was for me quite an experience talking to this chap. Two old gezzers, complete strangers in another country but with a bond that we will share the rest of our lives. The hell that we both went through over 70 yrs ago still fresh in our minds, somethings that we will NEVER forget. God please do NOT let our kids and grandkids EVER have to go through this. Lets hope and pray for peace in this world. What a waste of life that all was. John Crump Parker, Co USA PS. We are leaving to go riding our bikes down the trail. SHOOK HANDS! AND WISHED EACH OTHER WELL. A VERY FIRM HANDSHAKE I MUST ADD.