I am so excited about a new research lead that I have to share it with you straight away!  A week ago Joe received a call out of the blue which led to a flurry of emails between a lovely doctor called Hubert  in north Germany who it turns out was born in Nickenich.  His father, Heinz was in the same school class as Joe and that the two boys were friends.  Hubert’s mother, Maria Becker is now in her eighties but remembers little Günter and his parents well. This morning I received some wonderful old photos from Hubert.  Here is one of his grandfather Peter Saftig (the taller and younger of the two on the mowing machine).  This is from the 1930s.  Apparently Peter would regularly go to the local pub to play Skat, the German national card game, with Günter’s father Alfred, presumably after a long day in the fields or at the Cattle market!  I will not reveal any further touching memories from Nickenich at this stage – I don’t want to spoil the book for you!  But I am exceedingly grateful to Herr Doktor Becker for his generosity in sharing his parents’ memories with me and Joe.