Back in the DDR

Mark and I enjoyed our trip to the German Democratic Republic (DDR) and People's Republic of Poland in 1984 so much that we planned a return visit the following year, this time with a mutual friend.

The Unlikely Lads in 1985

Bob                                          Mark                                          Jim          

Bob had been behind the "iron curtain" once before. Hitch-hiking across the Federal Republic - or "West" Germany - he was given a lift by someone who, hearing of his intended destination, asked him if he wouldn't mind taking a spare part for a VW to a friend who lived in the DDR. Always happy to oblige, Bob took the part through customs in his bag, but admits he has no recollection of how he managed to deliver it to the recipient. He does recall, however, that he was plied with copious amounts of Bamberger Rauchbier by way of an advance "thank you" before setting off.

Unlike the previous year nobody kept a diary so this account won't be as detailed as that of the 1984 trip, having been put together through extensive email correspondance - an interesting experience in itself, not just in how people's memories of the same incident differ but also how one person's recollection can reawaken another's brain cells and dredge up further memories.

As ever, I'm writing this as a record for myself and my fellow participants, but I know a few blog readers did enjoy the account of  At Last the 1948 Show, so here we are "Back in the DDR"

Day One: Friday, 11th April 1985

Ostend station and a train for Germany

A study of old railway timetables suggests that we must have left London at 10.00hrs on the Boat Train to Dover and taken an early afternoon ferry to Ostend. Then, we would have caught the Ost-West Express, a train which included a rake of Russian sleeping cars bound for Moscow, although I recall we travelled in a rather more modest Belgian Railways seated carriage.  Bob still has his ticket: "London to Leipzig" issued by Thomas Cook's Barnsley office at a fare of £116.50 return. None of us is sure why the ticket was to Leipzig as that was somewhere we only passed through, but I daresay that in those days the number of destinations in the DDR that one could buy a through ticket to were somewhat limited and Leipzig was the best option.

Just after leaving Ostend we were joined in our compartment by a young lady. She'd obviously checked the train and come to the conclusion that we were the least-worst option as travelling companions went or at least a better bet than choosing an empty compartment and being joined later by someone even more undesirable.  Like everyone we met on these trips she was intrigued at where we were going and what we were going to see and do and we all got on like a house on fire.

She was only going to Köln and when she got up leave she seemed to be having trouble finding the right words to say thanks for letting her share the journey with us.  Ever helpful as far as young ladies were concerned, Mark jumped in with;  "WE say "Thank you for coming", YOU say "Thank you for having me!"  (I think he got away with it!)

After that, we settled down for the long, overnight haul to East Germany, where the Ost-West Express would have been due to cross the frontier at Marienborn at 04.23.

To be continued....