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Traudi
Potter – A Woman of Steel and Drive!
When Traudi
Potter arrived in Oxford from Vienna in 1957 she had very little
chance of getting a job that was good. Her English was still in
need of improvement, and the only jobs going were
nothing other than monotonous and dull. Assembly
line work wasn't for Traudi. But, all this wasn't a problem.
Traudi had come with a plan. And, Captain Philip Potter of the
British Army, Traudi's husband, was there with his help and support.
And, all
Traudi needed was a bike and a bag for her scissors and
combs. And so, with a second-hand bike and almost no
money, Traudi started her own little business – a mobile
hairdressing service - her customers were all within pedalling
distance. And, Traudi's little business took off. She was not only
the only person doing this in Oxford at the time, but very good, too.
And, the best thing of all, the cash started flowing right from the
start. But, of course, things were not always easy.
The Great
British winters can sometimes be incredibly hard, and
there were days when Traudi was unable to get to her clients. The
snow was simply too deep and the roads very icy. But, when ever she
could, Traudi went out. There was little that could
stop her. Traudi was a woman of steel.
And,
Traudi's bike eventually gave way to a car, and Traudi's little
business became a more comfortable way of making a
living. Going out in the rain was no longer a nuisance.
But, Traudi always thought big in a very small way. She knew how to
work and did very well. And, when Traudi officially retired she was
able to look back on a life of success. Her little business had
given her 5 trips round the world, and trips to Vienna and Malta each
year.
Traudi
proved that nothing is impossible. She started a business with no
money at all and a second-hand bike. Things could have stopped her.
There was rain, snow and ice and a language she wasn't
at home with. Traudi Potter - she pedalled
her way to the top and never once got off of her bike.
Traudi
Potter – A Woman of Steel and Drive.
Vocabulary and Questions follow automatically - (ca 20 seconds)
Vocabulary and Questions follow automatically - (ca 20 seconds)
Vocabulary
assembly
line – Fließband
comb
- Kamm
comfortable
– bequem
dull
- öd
incredibly
- erstaunlich
jobs
going - Freien Arbeitsplätze
language
- Sprache
little
– wenig
nuisance
– Ärgernis
not
at home with – nicht Handfest
pedalled
– pedal(s)/pedalled/pedalled – die
Pedalen Treten
scissors
– Schere
steel
- Stahl
Questions
-
Where
did Traudi meet her husband?
Why
was it difficult for Traudi to get a job in Oxford?
What
did Traudi need for her business?
What
was Traudi's business?
Was
Traudi's business big or small?
How
much money did Traudi need to start her business?
Who
helped and supported Traudi in the beginning?
