Johannes Breimhorst (English, 1972, Bowland) tells of his brief, but happy time as a study abroad student in the seventies and how he would be delighted to hear from anyone who may remember him from his two term stay in 1971/1972.

"In the winter of 1971/72 – the winter of power cuts and candles in the university library – I was a visiting German student at Lancaster University. And to say it straight away, it was the best semesters of my entire time at university.

I would have liked to move into a room on campus, but living in Morecambe also had its advantages. I was on campus all day, attending my very motivating seminars, the cafeterias of the various colleges, the excellently equipped library and last but not least – the Snooker Rooms.

I was warmly welcomed by my fellow students in the Study Room at Bowland College. At my suggestion, we even participated in a 5-aside football tournament. We were the “Bookworms United”, but our football skills were only good enough for the first round.

As a member of the University Volleyball Team, I played against teams from other universities. I enjoyed our weekly trainings, sometimes even more so the get-togethers afterwards. Never before had I seen a table full of beer glasses after the last order.

The cultural offerings on campus were enormous, so flying visits to the beautiful surroundings of Lancaster, unfortunately remained a rarity.

I also have fond memories of my frequent meetings with Russell Price, a Lecturer from the Department of Politics. I helped him translate medieval German texts into English, while he corrected my homework in return.

Attending all the University Debates were a must for me. I diligently took notes, especially on the topic “This house believes education should be a government monopoly”. I actually quoted from it in one of my later papers in Germany.

I also had the good fortune to meet John Keane, a former priest who had been fired by the Catholic Church for his stance on the encyclical Humanae Vitae. I was allowed to translate his letters to the German theologian Hans Küng and was invited to the Lonsdale College Christmas Dinner as a thank you. John Keane, by the way, has had a major influence on my then very narrow world view. I have benefited from our discussions to this day.

I am now 74 years old and, as a former teacher I was allowed to accompany some generations of students to the German Abitur and train teachers at Paderborn University. My wife Mary and I have four children – all teachers – and six grandchildren.

I would so much like former fellow students at Lancaster University to read these reflexions and, if they remember me, please get in touch via the University Alumni Office.

Let me assure you that I will never forget my stay at Lancaster University."