By Mervyn Bramley (Jesus 1964-67)

Challenged to write my memories of CHV, I looked at the photos I’d taken and, while the memories didn’t come flooding back with great clarity, these four thought bubbles formed.

The camp looked distinctly military when I first arrived at Plattenhof and saw the large khaki ex-army tents at the forest’s edge and the CHV flag flying above them. But the atmosphere there wasn’t – it was friendly albeit necessarily firm at times with the boys. 

The organisation was impressive – boy’s tents were neatly kept; the process of getting food and water (wasser bringen), cooking and serving meals, and washing up ran smoothly; and there were plenty of activities, including team games, to keep us occupied and the boys entertained. This successful organisation benefited immensely from those who’d already done a CHV camp – including knowing how deep to dig a latrine pit! I well recall the tents had old-fashioned separate ground sheets which seemed to welcome crawling insects and made some of us distinctly uneasy. However, overall, the camp was well-equipped. It also operated with a high degree of common sense, probably helped by Girl Guide, Boy Scout or Cadet Force training.

The group all got on remarkably well with each other. There were a few tensions between some of the boys, but their sheer delight of being away on holiday camping in the Schwarzwald overcame these. David Beeby as our skilled and fatherlike leader won the respect of all with his calm and well-balanced temperament. Vicky, Celia and Carole, with their teacher training, good nature and wealth of domestic management skills, seemed to be ‘camp mothers’ to the boys. (I’m sure there would be more of a unisex feel to a similar venture today!) Meal times, team games and outward bound activities all helped our hill-top community to bond together. I also recall being pleased that my limited German didn’t prevent me getting on well with the boys.  

The locality of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald with its mountains, forests, hill farms, villages and lakes was spectacular even for me with my Brecon Beacons roots! It was a long slow haul for our minibus up to Plattenhof from Freiburg and the twisting roads give memorable views. The surprise of finding a stunning Baroque abbey church up there in nearby Sankt Peter is an enduring memory for me. Stefan’s farm and the Plattenhof Gasthaus provided local produce and the occasional beer. The Schwarzwald locality made for excellent outings – the photos remind me of an outward bound trip with the older boys up Mount Kandel and fun for all in the pedal boats on Lake Titisee. 

I returned to Plattenhof by car with my family on a camping holiday in the mid 1980s. It was just as I recalled with Stefan and wife still there to welcome us. The main difference was that the lake immediately below the camp had become a popular skinny-dipping site! I don’t remember much bad weather – does anyone else?

Looking back – writing this 54 years on, challenged me to reflect on the lasting effects for me and for the boys. Has anyone had any contact with them I wonder and asked them for recollections? Some of the ‘boys’ will be past retiring age now! For me, helping on a CHV camp for underprivileged and refugee children in the Black Forest 500 miles away from Cambridge or my home did take me slightly out of my comfort zone! But the CHV experience of doing something that is enjoyable and close to nature, something that brings you into contact with new and different people and places, and something that is appreciated by and helps others certainly left a mark on me. 

After leaving Cambridge I did a year’s Voluntary Service Overseas, and 10 years on from Plattenhof 1965 equipped with professional qualifications in water resources engineering I was back under ill-fitting canvas – this time working for the World Bank in the outer Islands of Indonesia at the sharp edge of sustainable rural development. Definitely influenced by my CHV experience, except this time the crawling insects were distinctly unfriendly!