By Jeannick

My trip to England, as part of a school exchange, took place in 1978 from April 29to May 13: this was my first meeting with the Toogod family, 46 years ago today.
 
I went back to the notebook I had written during this stay. On the first page I wrote: “When we arrived home, we sat in the living room and I had a cup of tea. I gave the gifts to my hosts and the sweats for Frank and Pete”.
 
It's the beginning of a very beautiful story, with a family that was so similar to mine, (I have two brothers, Bernard and Daniel, who are the same age as Frank and Pete): I was in the right place.
 
Mick, Marianne, Frank and Pete shared their family life with me.
Further in my notebook, I found the visits that they took the time to do with me: Westgate-on-Sea, Canterbury, Cliftonville, Dover, Deal, Sandwich, Ramsgate…
 
But it was with an evening at the Police Wives Club with Marianne that our first moments of sharing began.
 
Then… Frank came to France and just like me, he shared our family life. He still remembers it: he had the chance to learn to drive with my father across a ploughed field in a 2CV, a memorable moment.
 
I can say that I got along well with Frank, but often relationships end after the exchange...
 
Except for me, it was different. The bonds formed during my stay with Marianne have never been broken. Over the years, our written correspondence and telephone calls brought us both closer together.
 
I came back to spend vacations with the family, always with the same welcome.
 
When I wanted to do a business internship in England, as part of my studies, Marianne helped me to find this internship at Marconi Communication Systems Limited. And I stayed with Marianne and Mick for three months. With Frank, we had the opportunity to go on evening outings with his friends.

Marianne became, as I liked to call her, my Anglo-German mother. At the table, we represented a mini European community... We both sometimes mixed conversations in French, English and German… She was always proud of her two sons. She loved them dearly and I know that I completed this picture by becoming the 5th element of the family, an adopted daughter.
 
My husband and my children were integrated into this adoptive family. During our various stays, Mick and Marianne were able to look after my children, Morgan and Mélody, like their own grandchildren. Morgan had the opportunity to spend once two weeks alone in their company, to improve his English. With her, they learned how to make pottery in the hut in the garden. Morgan and Mélody have still beautiful memories. They were saddened when they learned Marianne was not there anymore.
 
Today, I will have to live with all these beautiful memories.
But we will no longer have moments of sharing and confidence, where we told each other about our happiness and our worries.
Nanni, you shared with me your joys and your family happiness with Mick, Frank, Pete, Bev and Suzy. You shared 60 years of your life with Mick, you were proud to be a grandmother and great-grandmother.
 
I am happy to have come last May to spend what for me will be my last moments with you Nanni. I will keep also in my memory our last phone call in January.
 
I will miss your smile, your joy of life despite your health problems and your humor, I will miss you terribly. I am so sad not to be able to be present on this day alongside my second family.
 
I love you forever and you will always stay in my heart.
 
Jeannick, your daughter at heart.