Goodbye to a very special lady.

My auntie Edith passed away last week.  She was a very special lady for all sorts of reasons but I would like to share with you a story about her early years.  I wrote the story from the facts I gleaned from her over the years.

 

Flight from Nazi Germany

At the time I felt forsaken by my parents, yet excited at the prospect of seeing the sea and travelling by boat for the first time at 11 years old.  How could I have known what would come to pass although, with hindsight, all the clues were there?

Life as we knew it changed from the time my uncle from Frankfurt came to live with us after losing his job for being Jewish.  Home was a farm in a small village where we ran a little shop selling sugar, flour and suchlike, which supported my extended family.  From the radio we learnt what was happening further afield and so did the other villagers, who no longer frequented our shop.  The harvest workers, who had previously enjoyed hearty meals in our kitchen, failed to turn up that year.  The other handful of Jewish families moved away from the village after Kristallnacht when the contents of our synagogue were brought out and set on fire.  My younger sister and I were no longer allowed to attend the local school, so we would amuse ourselves on the farm or playing hide and seek among the gravestones in the Jewish and Christian cemeteries which are side by side.

After my father and uncle were taken in for questioning by the Gestapo, the future looked bleak.  The elderly relatives who lived with us could not be moved so my mother contacted the Jewish refugee association to find a family in England to take in my sister and me. 

Two families who lived next door to each other in Leeds agreed to takes us.  Arrangements were made; we were allowed to take a small suitcase between us.  Our mother told us to hide our rings and necklaces from view during the journey and that we should behave ourselves and be helpful to our host families.  We promised her faithfully that we would be good.

At the railway station, we were put in the charge of a couple of older girls.  Our anxiety increased when the relatives on the platform began to wail and sob.  We were too small to look out of the crowded window to wave goodbye, but we never thought it would be forever.  Just as the train started to move, a lady opened the door of the compartment and pushed in a carrycot which contained a baby girl.     

The journey began.  The Gestapo entered the train before it crossed the border but, apart from confiscating a few bracelets and rings from the older girls, left us alone.  At a station in Holland, some women gave us food and drink and then we crossed by boat to England.  It was cold and dark and my first experience of the sea wasn’t a good one.

It has been 74 years since the Kindertransport brought me to England.  My parents were transported to the Camp de Gurs in 1940 and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where according to the carefully kept records, they were exterminated in 1942.   I have been fortunate; a wonderful foster family, a long marriage, children and grandchildren.  I felt it was my duty to embrace life and I am sure it was what my parents would have wanted for me.

Very rarely do I fall asleep without thinking about playing with my sister among the gravestones in my village of Teschenmoschel then being welcomed home with open arms by my parents.  I also wonder about the fate of that baby girl whose mother gave her the gift of life.  

Jewish Burial Ground at Teschenmoschel

 Auntie Edith and Uncle Jack

 

 

 

Baby naming, beetroot fritters and breakers

Spent a lovely weekend in London where we attended the baby naming of my latest great niece.  We were treated to Salmon Coulibiac with fennel for Friday night dinner, tasty salads on Saturday and for brunch. 

 Esther Bracha with Great Auntie Linda

 Some family members putting the world to rights

 

 

On Sunday I had beetroot fritters at the Belsize Kitchen 68 Belsize Lane London NW3

 

On the way we passed this statue.

Talking of food, here is another recipe from Patsy Collins, writer and blogger, to use up those apples.   She says: Whisky apple cake is good. Put sliced apples sprinkled with whisky and brown sugar in the bottom of a dish, then cover with sponge mix and bake. Serve with cream or custard. Ginger cordial works well as an alternative to the whisky if you prefer. 

Sounds yummy.

The beginning of the week saw high seas at the East Yorkshire coast.

 ....but the weather was fine, although windy, and we managed to do a bit of walking.

The rough tides throw up all manner of things and I found some additions for my collection.

 Breakers

Shells, stones, wood and bone

 

As Summer subtly changes to Autumn

There's still plenty of warmth and sunshine around, although the trees give away the changing season.

 Towards Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire Coast

 Sewerby Cliffs, Bridlington, East Yorkshire

Found a useful site:  bramleyapples.co.uk which gives interesting recipes for using up those apples from the garden.  Tried the bangers and mash one with veggie sausages.  Who would have thought that adding apples to mashed potato, or sautéed with onions to make a sauce would be so delicious.
Any tried and tested recipes will be much appreciated, including any for may recently acquired bread making machine.

Reading:  Just finished Vivien's Hampshire's Losing Lucy, which I purchased as a cheapie from
 Amazon and can recommend it.  She really brings the characters alive.

Writing: Had two short stories accepted for October and read a couple of my pieces on local radio.
Arithmetic:  Paid an enormous bill for the repair of my central heating boiler.

On not having to go back to school

As an ex-teacher, I just love that feeling of not having to go back to school.  However, the grandchildren hadn’t started back yet, so they stayed with us at the coast for a few days and the weather was glorious. 

 

We visited Sewerby Park and, although the Hall is closed for a big refurbishment with National Lottery money, the gardens were still full of colour and the children found the zoo, the outdoor toys and the playground great fun.

Outdoor connect and Jenga

Brought home some green beans from the allotment, where I volunteer.  Another allotment holder gave us some beetroots, which I put to good use.  I find gardeners, like writers, to be so generous with their help and advice.

 

 

I had a short story accepted on Alfiedog.com for publication in October and a piece of non-fiction is being included on local radio next week

My new bread making machine is wonderful!  For Jewish New Year, I baked both round and plaited challahs for the first time ever and also a honey cake for a sweet new year.

 First attempts

 

 

I spied this plant display depicting the heritage of Stamford Bridge (Yorkshire).

 

It has been a great summer in which we celebrated our son's wedding, our ruby wedding, and the special birthdays of my brother and one of my sisters.  These are just the highlights of my life at the moment.  There are lowlights, of course, but with a large family there are always times for celebrations and commiserations.  I prefer to count my blessings.

 

 

 

A holiday in Calpe, Spain

 

Wall to wall sunshine, private beach and pool - what not to like!  We liked playing in the sea when the waves were high with the grandchildren's inflatables, watching from the balcony with the binoculars, eating out .....


 Penon de Ifach which dominates the resort

From the front balcony there was the ever changing scenery of the Med and the back balconies overlooked a salt lake; a haven for wildlife.

 

A paved walkway by the sea joins the new town to the old town.  This was used by joggers in the early morning and strollers in the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

Calpe is still a working fishing port and a fish auction is held every day at 5 pm.  The transactions are now digitalised, but interesting nevertheless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



 The fishing boats bring their catch into the port where it is unloaded by the crew and family.  The fish are sorted according to type into plastic trays which are placed on the conveyor belt. As the trays begin to move they are weighed and on the screen appears the picture, the type of fish, who caught it , the bidder and the price it went for.  The bidders have black, palm-held sets by which they communicate their purchases.  Once bought, a printed ticket fall on the tray from a machine, a shovelful of ice is applied manually and the tray is moved to a pallet.  The restaurants will be serving the fish that evening.

 

 

We also visited Mundo Mar in Benidorm.  The park was well organised and the fish and animals were well cared for.  We saw a sea lion show, a dolphin show and variety of animals and birds.  A welcome fine spray of water was applied to the crowds to stop them overheating.  I was also impressed by the planting in the park.  The kids loved it!

 

All too soon it's time to go home.

Adios