Introduction

In the year 1943, I might have seen some progress in the fight against Nazi Germany, but bombs were still falling on the city in which I lived. Amidst this chaos, I entered the world on April 29, 1943, and began a life, which offered much variety and a fair degree of excitement.

The work in a government agency, the years volunteering as a special police officer, the several failed marriages, and the finding of my birth family following my early adoption kept me extremely occupied for most of my life. I soon began to learn what life was all about. There were never any easy answers, and I resented the suggestion that I was just lucky!

All I needed in my early years was, admittedly, some sweets and comics and sufficient entertainment to keep me happy. Later, life became harder and, often, decidedly unhappier. This is perhaps where I should begin.

My life was amusing and sad in equal proportions, but above all, it represents a genuine account of a very average life lived by many in a very ordinary environment that seemed to answer more questions than were ever posed.