When she was little, my daughter Merle and I used to walk hand in hand through Gremberg Woods several times a week. Gremberg Woods is an enclave of a few hectares of woodland on the edge of Köln. It nestles in between industrial estates, inter-city train lines, motorways, main roads and dull suburbia. There are frequently low flying aircraft over it on their way to land at Köln-Bonn Airport, which is about seven kilometres away. In short, it is not a romantic place.
Merle would always go if I agreed to make up a Teddy Bear story. These bears were based on the characters of Merle's cuddly toys and they gradually all took on distinctive accents and eccentricities. The world we lived in was only known to us - and occasionally her Mum. It is a warm, fuzzy place that lives on in our memories. These things are the real treasures of life and they are worth every minute you put into them Will. Good on you!