from Cologne to Sydney

     A  friend from Cologne asked me if I was interested in writing a story about my travel from Cologne to Sydney. I thought about it and agreed to the task.

September 1948.I am the little one (with Pullover) in the centre  .Who can recognise him or herself in this photograph? I would be very interested to know if you can recognise yourself here.

First of all I would like to introduce myself: My name is Siegfried Lehmann (my friends here in Australia simply call me "Fred") and I lived in Köln-Nippes, Kretzerstrasse. 14 and 18, from 1948 to 1961. I attended the Catholic School in   Köln-Riehl and later the   Gymnasium(College) in Köln-Nippes( Cologne Nippes).

My Brother and Sisters in Koeln-Nippes,Kretzerstrasse in 1950.   I am the little one in the front

        In 1956 I began my Plumbing  Apprenticeship with Ludwig Plumbing in   Chlodwig-Platz, at the mature age age of 14 years!  After working for  3 Months in the workshop my Boss sent me with a senior Plumber, Joseph Eule to work in a brewery  Reissdorf in Severinsviertel. Here I became an expert "beer-drinker" . My Boss was worried about this and I had to leave the Brewery and go to work in a Stollwerk Chocolate Factory   . Here I had a terrific time so much chocolate, women and girls! I had never seen so many before all in the one place! We could eat as much chocolate as we wanted but we were not allowed to take any home with us!  
Here in Stollwerk I met  Peter.Who was  an older apprentice with the company .  Peter lived in Köln-Nippes on the corner of  Nordstrasse and Schwerinstrasse, straight across the road from the pub called the   "Glocke". He was one of the regulars there.  So it didn't take long for me to feel at "home" in the "Glocke" , where I had some really memorable days and nights.

 After my Apprenticeship I had a serious accident at work. I left the building Industry and worked with the Postal Service at the Cologne Central Station . Here I liked the work even if the work was a little bit boring at times.One Day  a workmate asked me if I would be interested in migrating to Australia with him, as part of an adventure. 
My first reaction was "You have to be crazy! I am quite happy where I am " and "What on earth would I do in Australia"   ? But then he showed me a few photographs of Australia and a Brochure of the six weeks Ocean Cruise to reach Australia.  After I thought about it for a few days I reached the decision to go on this adventure . My workmate decided at a later date not to go and he ended up staying in Germany. 
After five months it became a reality ..........

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