My journey through the Winter of my life ongoing notes for a book

It began in February 2006 I had book to go to Nuernberg it was a a cold icy day

that a took a car to Stanstead and caught the plane to Nuernberg.

arriving in Germany there were signs of snow but most had melted off the streets

it was just large clumps I noticed behind the bushes clearly in the clearing of the roads large amounts had been rolled into places and had taken longer to melt

it was however extremely cold and there was a sleet falling which I remember was very cold on my head.

I was to meet my friend Janet at some stage who was coming over from the Isle of Man with her friend and I got a taxi to my Hotel. I had met a friend from Tring

who had come for the first time to visit Biofach but had not bothered to arrange his hotel before he came and so I helped him shared a taxi with him and tried to find a hotel for him.

the sun was out a bright blue sky but a bitterly cold wind. I did find a place for him

and went on to my own hotel to book in and get ready to get the tube to the exhibition centre.

My hotel was at the rear of the railways station and there was access down an allyt into the station

After I booked inI walked down to the station through to the metro and caught my train to the BIofach everyone was going there and so without knowing which side I should wait I just followed the crowd.I was feeling elated, cold but excited

to be soon entering the greatest organic show in the whole world.

through the door I entered into a large open space and registered myself got my lapel badge and began the journey into the unknown

on the second day I met a supplier who had been supplying soups and various other goods from Spain from Andalucia and he insisted oin sharing his lunch with me

I remember he had some fish whole herring or something but he gave me some vegetables and a nice drink of juice of some kind.

we talked over lunch and it felt good to sit down and chat

afterwards I walaked and studied and met the Italian family that provided

our Rice and Rice from  Florence and actially sang an aria on their stand

for them where I had re weritten the world to include their operation and how

it had benefitted the shop

I was in good spirits but I remember leaving the hall to go and look at the wines

and feeling how dreadfully cold it was.

I did look at the wines and tasted a few very small amounts

and carried on back in the food halls up in the skin hall

and so on through out the day.

in the evening back my hotel my wife rang and asked had I been eating well I said I had to a point but hadn’t been out at all to spend any money in restaurants.

she suggested going to a Chinese and relaxing before coming home early the next morning. so I had noticed a largish place by the viaduct and took a taxi there although I realised it was easier and quicker to walk.

I went there and it was almost empty such a big place  I ordered a meal

but I remember it came up deep fried I was hungry and didn’t want to return it so slowly I ate it

they gave me some liquor a rose wine a house speciality something very small

I drank it and  `I decided to walk home,

it was very close I could almost see the hotel from the outer door but I had to cross over a viaduct and walk through a tunnel which was dark and not very well  lit, I remember looking down on the train terminus below Germany at night reminded me on war films I had seen in my youth it was black and all the trains were black and I walked slowly across the road over many tram tracks to the other side and started through the tunnel.Again I felt very cold it was very quiet

and despite that I suddenly felt very hot and I fell against the side of the tunnel and slipped onto the ground, my head was turning the world was turning and I must have passed out and a lady saw me and asked if I had been mugged

as I was bleeding from a hand wound.I said that m hotel was nearby and I woukd go there but realised I couldn’t walk so I dragged myself to that hotel said goodbye to her went up in the lift to my room and fell on the bed.

I had an early wakeup call at 3.45 am to catch my taxi to go home

so I washed as best I could and laid down to sleep I went through wa