Alan started his studies in German and French at the University of Edinburgh in 1965, the same year as I did mine, also in German, and in English. By the time I got to know him, in the early part of 1966, he was already part of a strong circle of friends, who also became mine in the course of that academic year and the years that followed. In 1967-68, I spent a year school-teaching in West Berlin and the following year Alan did so, too. For both of us, living and working in Berlin was a profound education in everything German, both in the present and historically, and we never forgot our experiences there in that troubled time, nor the friends we made in both parts of the city. More than 50 years ago, Alan settled down to teaching English in Peine, while my career took me to Finland, where I have stayed since -- but in the past 15-20 years in particular, it has been a privilege to visit Peine several times and to see how Alan overcame his medical problems to continue teaching and to celebrate his Scottishness amidst the people who had so warmly welcomed him in Peine. He will be sadly missed by us all. My thoughts are in particular with his daughter Anna and his son Tom, with Anke, and with the memory of his late wife, Sabine.
