Ist day at school

Posting this in September 2017, as the children here in Bavaria go back to or start school. I cannot be 100% sure that the photo was taken on the 14th. I didn't have a diary back then!

The time had come. No more kindergarten playing around, life is now serious.

From l. to r. : Me, Ian, Johnny.

Ian was an experienced senior boy and was trusted with the initialisation for his brother Johnny and myself. I am pretty sure we were standing at the back of their house (on the left) and mine in the distance on the right.

Their father, Jim, carried this photo in his wallet, as far as I know, well into the 1970's. My diary shows that I visited the family in their Sevenoaks house for a dinner party on 14th May 1977. Johnny was to be best man at my wedding on 30th July 1977. Sadly the contact was lost after that.

Ian was always difficult to keep a track on, jetting around the world and living most of his time in foreign countries. Being somewhat prominent on the "World Stage", I have now in September 2017, sent off a message on one of the networking platforms to see if I can get "reconnected"

Johnny was, from the early 1950 days when he and I played "Doctors and Nurses" (with Tina B and Johnny always "won"), destined for a medical career. I really can't remember what became of him and I know he did try in the 90's to get in contact via my father but somehow it didn't work - my fault, not his.

They say we tend to remember the good bits and forget the bad ones. I can sadly remember little of the detail and certainly not how Johnny and I survived that first day. Ian being a year or two older had his own immediate circle of friends but there were many wonderful days back then with the two of them and their parents: Jim, always good for a prank and Joy, who took the serious role, making sure we were behaving ourselves.

I have the odd photo of us all still to post.

PS Ian went on to be a top dog at World Bank  in Africa & Far East, Johnny a top dog professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. There has to be one dunce in the room to let the others shine.