I came to know of the Wickens family from 1969, after my appointment as Head of Handsworth Grammar School in that year.

Fred Wickens was Head of the English Department, a long serving colleague with a strong influence in the Common Room for high professional standards. He shared with me a strong mutual interest in theatre, school dramatic productions and cinema which brought us together after my departure to the headship of another Birmingham school.

Contact between our families continued and my late wife Maura and I greatly admired the academic triumphs of the four adopted children, crowned by the entry of the boys to Cambridge University and the girls to Edinburgh University. We took great pleasure in meeting the emerging graduates as they developed.

Of the four, the most unexpected and unconventional career path was followed by Nicky, who succeeded in his long held ambition to become a train driver.

In later years I had three opportunities to meet Nicky in the company of his partner, Birgitta, on visits to England from Germany. As I expected I found him a quite delightful, charming, and caring man, articulate, gentle and empathic in his manner and devoted to Birgitta. These feelings are warmly shared by my wife, Peggy. We were jointly horrified to learn of his untimely death.