PRESIDENT Brian Melville opened our meeting on Thursday, March 19 with a warm welcome for guest Andy Richardson, a retired landscape gardener from Harvington.

Our speaker this week was Sophie Dodds. She described her life’s journey from German Silesia to Harvington. She spoke movingly about her childhood in Nazi Germany, how her family survived the atrocities, her memories of the Jewish people who were deported to the gas chambers, about self-sufficiency and the horrors of the invasion by the Russian Red Army. Her family all managed to escape to safety, assisted by a Russian guard and a German prisoner of war.

At the age of 22, she was sent to Bournemouth in England to learn English. She settled quickly and two years later, got married. She described her life in England and moved to Harvington in 1977. Since retiring she has occupied herself fully with a range of interests, including her church and local community.

It was a privilege to hear a first-hand account of the war years from her perspective. Judging by our questions after her presentation it was clear that although her experiences had affected her greatly, she still managed to retain a keen sense of humour. Tony Davies thanked Sophie profusely on our behalf.

Forthcoming talks include Fleet Street by Clive Allen on March 26, followed by Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway by Alan Rampley on April 2 and then Shackleton’s Fateful Journey by Ken Ingamells on April 9.

CHRIS DONOUGH