morganacademyfp

We went to wurzburg on a school trip in,I think, 1956 or 57. We stayed at the Melanchtonheim a school hostel,which was immediately dubbed The Melancholy Home by the Morgan pupils. We were chaperoned by Roddy McLeod and his future wife! who were young teachers at that time. I still have the pictures. We were all hosted by German families for trips around the city and on one outing Jim Urquart was involved in a bad car accident with his host family and had a serious head injury. We had to leave him there when we came home. He was nursed by nuns and when he returned to Dundee was religiously converted and wanted to become a protestant minister which he eventually did on the west coast of Scotland.It was the beginning of my interest in Germany and my globetrotting exploits.I returned to Wurzburg about 5 years ago and had a glass of wine in one of the old weinstube by the river. The town was unrecognisable except for the Citadel, the castle on the hill. The rest was completely modernised and the Melancholy Home was a car park!! Such is modernisation!

After a four year search/wait, can you not elaborate a bit now that you have had "a chat," Dave? Did he just pick your telephone number out of the Yellow Pages?

Dave has been looking for Bob Storrie for more than 4 years. He was looking on the old site! So, Dave, where has he been hiding? My sister, Dorothy , went to Wurzburg in 1959. Bob Storrie went there, too. Dorothy stayed with Heike Hersam, a doctor's daughter, in a beautiful house. (Seinheimstrasse) I wonder what Heike thought about our house, when she visited us the next year. We had just moved fron the prefab in Alloway Pl, to Honeygreen Road. It must have been a culture shock for Heike. No matter, Heike and my mother exchanged Christmas cards for about 30 years.

I didn't realise the school had a return trip to Wurzburg in 1959. Was the Melancholy Home still there or did you all stay with separate families?We only met with individuals as sort of penpals whose family took us out for the day and an evening meal.I remember the girl I was paired with was called Ute Hoffmann but did not hear from her again after we returned to Dundee.

Ian, my sister went to Wurzburg in 1959. She stayed with Heike Hersam in the family home. It was a palace compared to our Alloway Place prefab.

That was an excellent piece of dectetive work, Dave, well done. I am so glad you are enjoying retirement, your postings demonstrate that.

So, are you enjoying retirement, Dave? It was a long time comming! Time to shovel the snow off the driveway, and more importantly, time to bounce the one year old on you knee, just like a grandad. I am sure you had a great first birthday party.