Today is Camphill 80th Anniversary. We would like to bring your attention to this article from The Press and Journal. Please see below, two short fond memories from two of our live-in co-workers:
“I also went a few times on the “Steener (Steiner) Special” train as an escort for a child with special needs, sleeping in a cabin with one of the children. Myself on the top bunk bed and the child on the bottom one. During the night I had to do a “watch” to ensure all the children in my carriage were safe and did not spontaneously try to leave the train when it arrived at a station. We sat on a stool near the exit and were given some tea and biscuits by a friendly guard. It was very welcome. Inevitably a child was not picked up or dropped off at the wrong station which could delay the train for up to two hours. That added to the drama. It was tiring but fun and exciting. Before the train left Aberdeen Station a number of people came with their singing voices or instruments including lyres and lovely music was played to “see” the train off, usually led by Christoph Andreas Lindenberg. The music created a wonderful sense of excitement and the station officials enjoyed all the merriment each term when the “Steener Special” left the station. For those left behind there was a much anticipated trip to the fish and chip shop to mark the beginning of the school holidays.” from Christina Ehrhardt
“I was on the Rudolph Steener Special (as they said in Aberdeen) many times as a co-worker. It was terrifying if a child was not picked up on the platform by their relatives at one of the stations during the night on the way down to England. Then you had to phone the organiser of the expedition in Aberdeen and hopefully she could get in touch with the relatives. But a day in London was great and you met other co-workers – usually at the British Museum. In the article “Jenny” says it always seemed to be dark. That would’ve been because the train left about 6:30pm in the evening and went overnight all the way up to Aberdeen. I think the train from Aberdeen to London also travelled overnight. If you were lucky the one or two children you were escorting would go asleep in their little bunkbeds and you could wake them up in time to get off at the station. But very often they were all incredibly excited about going for holidays. I remember having the children’s company when the tea and biscuits came around. Good life experiences!” from Oliver Gordon
