(B) Marga FRANK - A radio legend - A great little lady for children -

Please click here for full page - Audio following

Marga Frank

Stories that come in from the air are moments of magic. And, radio not only conjures up pictures of fantasy, but provides for emotions as well. And, the best stories of all are the ones that send children to sleep with dreams in their pockets and smiles on their faces. And, this was children's radio as it once was! And, in Austria, it was all thanks to one woman!

It was 1955. The age of new radio in Austria. A period of excitement. Everything was starting again after the war. And, it was against this pioneering background that Marga Frank started The Little Dream Man, a program for children. And this, indeed, was something quiet special.

The Little Dream Man began around bedtime, and its little listeners were not only on the way to their beds, but also looking forward to a moment they loved. And the reason was simple. The Little Dream Man stories had the magical quality of ending each day on a high. And, that's what made them so special. And, the programs were loved by both children and adults alike. But, of course, the telling of good stories wasn't all that it seemed.

Each story was a challenge. They not only had to last for exactly 4 minutes and 45 seconds, they had to conform to Marga Frank's high standards as well, and, it was this that made The Little Dream Man successful. And, that wasn't all. The program went out every day, and that meant 365 brand new stories each year! And that was not always easy. But, everything always happened on schedule, and, as the years went by, so did the stories.

And the generations moved on as well. The Little Dream Man was so popular that it lasted for almost 40 years, and the first little listeners grew up to become the grandparents of the last little listening dreamers. And, when television became popular, the Little Dream man sadly disappeared into its shadow for ever.

And, Marga Frank was happily still with us until just a few years ago. And, with her more than 90 years, was able to look back upon a life of great pleasure. And, Austria said thank you in a very big way. She was awarded the Austrian medal of honour for her work. The highest honour of all! And, quite rightly so. For she – after all - was the one who sent millions of children to bed every night with a smile and a wonderful dream!

Stories that come in from the air are moments of magic, and Margo Frank was a lady of magic. Her stories were great listening pleasure and everyone loved them.

Calling All Children – Margo Frank

Audio automatically switches to vocabulary and Questions - Please wait (20 seconds)!

Vocabulary

alike – wie

challenge – Herausforderung

conform – passen

conjures up – hier zaubern

disappeared – (disappear /disappeared/disappear) – verschwand

lasted -(last/lasted/lasted) - dauertet

medal of honour - Ehrenzeichnen

period – Zeitalter

provides for – sorgt für

pioneering – wegweisender

shadow – Schatten

Listening - Legin V. Samej has come down to earth on a mission - Listen on TRAM 49

Please CLICK HERE to continue

Click here for TRAM 49 and Report Number One!

(B) - Friedrich Gulda - A small corner of green in Vienna!

Click here for full AUDIO/VISUAL  page

Vienna is beautiful. It has more trees, parks, and water than most other cities on earth. Vienna is special. But, Vienna, too, is a city of music, and, in a small corner of town is a park that is not only green, but musical, too.

Named after Friedrich Gulda, the popular Austrian pianist, the Friedrich Gulda park gets its feeling of music from a keyboard that runs through its middle. And, the keyboard, of course, is the path that all have to walk on. And, if you find this a little unusual, well, it's hardly surprising. Friedrich Gulda, too, was a little eccentric!

Friedrich Gulda was a genius. And, he loved Beethoven and Mozart. In fact, during his time, Friedrich Gulda's interpretations of Mozart and Beethoven were amongst the best in the world! But, Friedrich Gulda had also a passion for jazz, and his compositions and performances were often considered just a little bit crazy! And, this was the Friedrich Gulda that many people loved. Eccentric and nice – and - in a way - just like his park.

Vienna is green. It has a park with a keyboard and a man and his music with the feeling of jazz. Friedrich Gulda was not like anyone else, and, that's why the Viennese still love him! Vienna, after all, is a city that is different.

Friedrich Gulda was born in Vienna in 1930 and died in Weißenbach am Attersee in January, 2000. And, if you're interested,  the Friedrich Gulda Park lies hidden in the third district of Vienna behind Ungargasse and Landstraße.

Friedrich Gulda – a great man of music who's still very much with us!

Friedrich Gulda

More INFO here!

(A) - Ghassan - A long ago peace

Ghassan

Ghassan has been with us now for almost two years. At home, he was a policeman. There, Ghassan once had a future. His life, and everyone else's, too, was well ordered and safe. Life was the same as everywhere else. Good friends, family, and peace. And the future? Possibly a life with the police. But, where? Ghassan's English is perfect. The world is his oyster!

(B) - Lucy Nemetz - A Tiny White Spot On A White Spotted Carpet - A Guardian Angel

Please CLICK HERE for full AUDIO/VISUAL  page

Lucy Nemetz - A Tiny White Spot On A White Spotted Carpet.

Lucy Nemetz had had a bad day and was not feeling happy. And, her not feeling happy had started early that morning. Lucy's alarm had failed to go off. No time for breakfast and running all day to catch up. And, then, coming home at four, Lucy was tired and exhausted. But, Lucy's bad day was set to continue. All of a sudden, Lucy's left hearing aid was no longer where it should be. It had gone. Vanished. An expensive end to a miserable day!

Desperately, Lucy and her husband looked everywhere. Behind the cushions, under the cushions, under the couch, behind the couch, by the TV, and everywhere else they could think of. But nothing. Lucy's very expensive fine hearing aid had gone from the face of the earth. Lucy was not only unhappy, but angry as well. But, then, something happened to Lucy. She stood perfectly still. She smiled. She had thought of her Guardian Angel.

Lucy closed her eyes, and, for the first time that day, she was at peace with herself. And, then, when she thought the moment was right, opened her eyes and looked down. Her hearing aid was by her left foot. A tiny white spot on a white spotted carpet. Lucy was happy. Her Guardian Angel had saved her again.

And, Walter, Lucy's husband, was also an Angel. He made Lucy a cold chicken sandwich and a nice cup of hot tea. A very nice end of a very bad day.

Lucy Nemetz - A Tiny White Spot On A White Spotted Carpet.

Vocabulary

desperately - verzweifelt

Guardian Angel – Schutzengel

had had – hatte gehabt

hearing aid – Höhrgerät

miserable - miserables  

(B+) - The Plattenbaus - The Red Stars of the East - Still very much a very big part of the post-socialist landscape!

 Please click here for full page - Audio following

The red stars and statues of Lenin and Stalin may have gone from the face of the old Soviet block, but there is still one reminder that takes us straight back to the heart of the Communist era. And, this is the plattenbaus. They are still to be seen all over the once eastern block.

Built as of the 1950s, these enormous blocks of flats made of concrete slabs were not only designed to make everyone equal in true Leninist style, but also to counter the homelessness caused by the war. And, they were, to a certain extent, successful. Each apartment came with its own WC, bathroom, simple kitchen, hot and cold running water and heating. But, despite these advantages, the plattenbaus were not very popular.

With their grim characterless oneness, they offered very little privacy. The walls were so thin that everyone was able to hear what everyone else was saying and doing. And, on fine summer days, with windows wide open, everyone knew what everyone else was having for lunch. The air was alive with a cocktail of kitchen smells, babies crying, children screaming, loud music and talking and squabbling! The smell of cabbage cooking carries a very long way! But, there was something else, too.

The plattenbaus were all part of a big social plan. Points were needed in order to get an apartment, and the biggest scorers were children. Meaning, the more children you had, the better your chances. But, unfortunately, big families were not always easy, and, quite often it was the peace of living that suffered. But, that's how things were. And, of course, with children came life!

And life always manages to find its own course. And, because plattenbaus were always built on huge estates on the edges of towns, there was always a long way to go to the nearest shops and facilities. And, so it was, that these estates became the ideal places for small businesses and services. There were, and still are, in and amongst the plattenbaus, many small shops such as hairdressers, small grocery stores and even sometimes friendly bars. And, each estate was provided with a kindergarten, playground and school.

And, of course, there are similar constructions in the rest of Europe, too. Apartment blocks built out of concrete slabs are not unusual. But, wherever you go in the “west”, you will never find anything like the plattenbaus of the old “former east”. The character of these buildings is their style, and style is a thing that's unique. And, when it comes to comfort, the plattenbaus have just as much chance as everything else. In your own four walls you can do what you like. Nice living is nothing other than taste!

And, of course, life in the plattenbaus is the same as every where else. There are close friendships and neighbourly contacts, and the not so good, too. Its all human nature. And, the future?

The plattenbaus are undergoing a renaissance! With generous help from the European Union, these buildings are being brought up to date with insulation and new coats of paint. These once grim estates are now looking better than ever and have become places that are nice to go home to!

And so, what started as a solution has now become a goal in itself. Many young people are now finding their first homes in these flats, and, for the elderly, they are perfect. A good home is important and a plattenbau can be just as good as anything else! And, sometimes, even much better!

The Red Star of then is still brightly shining, and is set to continue for ever!

Vocabulary

certain extent – gewissermaßen

concrete slabs - Betonplatten

counter (to counter/countered/countered) - entgegnen

eastern block – Ostblock

enormous - riesig

estate – Siedlung

grim – grimmig u. trostlos

homelessness – Obdachlosigkeit

huge – riesig

insulation – Isolierung

once - einmal

oneness – Geschlossenheit

plattenbau - Wohnhaus aus Betonplatten

reminder – Erinnerung

squabbling – Gezänk

undergoing (to undergo/underwent/undergone) - unterziehen

(B) - Cottons and Threads and Beautiful Flowers - A true story of art!

For full AUDIO/VISUAL page - please click here   

Feeny Vee

Cottons and Threads and Beautiful Flowers

Feeny Vee lives in the sleepy little village of Toorington, and she is very well known. Feeny Vee is an artist. That is to say, her hobby is art. And, everyone knows Feeny Vee's work. Her art is not only unusual, but also unique.

Feeny Vee is what's known as a patchwork artist. Her materials are cottons and threads, and flowery material. And, from these simple ingredients come wonderful works of great beauty.

To begin with, Feeny Vee goes looking for suitable pieces of cloth. Her favourite hunting grounds are bring-and-buy sales, jumble sales, and shops that sell second-hand clothes. And, Feeny Vee always strikes lucky. She always finds what she wants. And, home Feeny Vee goes with a wonderful piece of flowery material.

And, then comes the act of creation. Feeny Vee cuts up her newly found piece of flowery material into lots of small patches. And, then, sews them together again in no real order. A random creation. A piece of great art that's made for amazement.

But, however fantastic Feeny Vee's pictures maybe, there's always the question. Why does Feeny Vee bother? Her pictures, after all, when finished, all look exactly the same as the material did before she cut out the shapes. The answer, of course, is Feeny Vee's secret. And, as everyone knows, art is a question of taste.

And, Feeny Vee's living room walls are the natural home for her wonderful works. And, Mike, Feeny Vee's husband, does all the framing and hanging. And, there, on the flowery living room walls, Feeny Vee's pictures all disappear. Flowers against flowers. They all look the same. Maybe, Feeny Vee should look for new patterns. But, Feeny Vee is a lady of flowers. She once was a hippy.

Feeny Vee is a lady of art. But, whilst visiting for tea, you may be forgiven for believing she has no pictures at all. Flowers against flowers and colours against colours. All very still very still lives.

Feeny Vee - Cottons and Threads and Beautiful Flowers