Andrew Radgick is Chairman of the Bracknell Forest Society
Andrew Radgick is Chairman of Bracknell Forest Society and a great friend to the Wokingham Remembers project. I thought it would be interesting to hear at first hand the Centenary Commemoration from a German perspective. Andrew provides a very amusing account of the realities of travelling not only to a different country, but also a different culture Here is Andrew’s adventure to Leverkusen in Germany.
“Over the recent Heritage Weekend of September 13-14th, I travelled to Bracknell’s win Town of Leverkusen in Germany in my role as Chairman of The Bracknell Forest Society. The Leverkusen Historical Society had mounted a large exhibition on the war, with contributions from several towns across Europe. This highlighted the effect of the conflict on these communities, with life before, during, and after the fighting being recorded.
There were also artefacts on display, many having been donated or lent especially for the exhibition. Unfortunately, everything was in German, and as I do not speak the language, I had to gather the gist of the display from the pictures.
Leverkusen as seen from our hotel
There were also artefacts on display, many having been donated or lent especially for the exhibition. Unfortunately, everything was in German, and as I do not speak the language, I had to gather the gist of the display from the pictures.
As well as the UK, there were two visitors from Poland in attendance, but sadly the language barrier limited our chances to talk.
View of part of the WWI exhibition.
After travelling via Brussels on Eurostar, we were met at Cologne station for the brief drive to Leverkusen. However, with the main bridge over the River Rhine closed for repairs, the traffic congestion resembled the worst seen in east Berkshire! Eventually, we arrived at the headquarters of the Historical Society for a meal where we were able to meet our hosts and the Poles for a sociable evening, before being taken to our hotel.
At 8:30 the following morning, we were collected and returned to the Historical Society to look at the exhibition before it was officially opened to the public. This included a press conference at which I was expected to speak (with no warning!), but I managed to express my admiration for the exhibition and gratitude to our hosts, albeit in English. There then followed the official opening ceremony, lasting an hour and a half, entirely in German, interspersed with music from a clarinet quartet from a local School of Music. In the afternoon, there was a coach tour of areas of interest in and around the city of Leverkusen.
A student was delegated to translate what our guide was telling everyone, but as the guide spoke very quickly without pausing for breath, the student struggled to keep up, but I was grateful for the attempt to keep me informed. A late afternoon stop for traditional coffee and cakes was very welcome for all concerned. We made our excuses, and were dropped off back at the hotel for a meal and early night.
Headquarters of the Leverkusen History Society.
A student was delegated to translate what our guide was telling everyone, but as the guide spoke very quickly without pausing for breath, the student struggled to keep up, but I was grateful for the attempt to keep me informed. A late afternoon stop for traditional coffee and cakes was very welcome for all concerned. We made our excuses, and were dropped off back at the hotel for a meal and early night.
After spending our time looking around Leverkusen (an industrial town and not somewhere you would normally visit), we attempted to get a meal, only to find everywhere in Germany shuts on a Sunday – the only place selling food was a McDonalds.
We paid another visit to the Historical Society in the evening, where beer and live jazz music had been laid on, before catching the early train back to Cologne and back home on Monday. Despite the language difficulties, it was a pleasant trip, and the WWI exhibition was very thorough and should provide a good insight into how the Great War affected people right across the continent. I just wish I could have understood more of it”.
Royal Marine Light Infantry uniform, lent by a member of the Bracknell Twinning Association
We paid another visit to the Historical Society in the evening, where beer and live jazz music had been laid on, before catching the early train back to Cologne and back home on Monday. Despite the language difficulties, it was a pleasant trip, and the WWI exhibition was very thorough and should provide a good insight into how the Great War affected people right across the continent. I just wish I could have understood more of it”.
Andrew has produced three superb books on the War Memorials around the Bracknell Forest area. If you would like to know more information or how to order a copy, click on this link.