Mieka Smiles

Local Matters

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IFE AS a working 44-year-old mum-of-two can be busy. So busy, in fact, that important things — like calling a loved one or taking a walk with a friend — can become neglected. My father, Juergen Schmidt, passed away aged 77 almost three weeks ago.

Despite having the most German name imaginable, and having been born there, he was an Aussie through and through, having moved there as a tiny child before coming to the UK in his 40s.

One of dad’s many stories — which of course became family lore — was that when he landed, probably in lederhosen, the only English word he knew was “potato”.