English-speakers in Nettetal - NRW

Anyone out ther who lives in the nettetal area ? Thats about 25 mins from Düsseldorf. Would be great to hear from you if you do. I have two young children so would be really really good to hear from other mums.

Sorry, I left in Nettetal (Leuth) just over 3 years ago but if you are any where near Leuth I can put you in contact with a very nice English lady (who lives in Leuth) who helps with the Brownies/Guides on the English base (now you will tell me you have only boys :$ ).

She has a daughter who is 14 (born in Germany but speaks excelent English and German) which I guess is a bit older than your children but I am sure she can help in some way. She was a life saver for me when I first moved to Germany and my daughter could not believe her luck at finding another English speaking girl in the same village. She gives English lessons but I am sure that she would have no problem giving German lessons if you were interested.

It is a very flat area which I found a little disconcerting but it is great for bike rides

If I remember rightly (which I am not nown to do to well) there is a kids sports club in Hinsbeck (Hinsbeck is the bit I am not sure about) which is run by a German lady who speaks English which you might have use of.

Hi Corinne,

Thanks for that information. Yes its boys only im afraid, 2 and 8. But thankyou very much for the information. I have been living in Nettetal for 4 years so am not completely new to the area. Frau Weigmann-Bates ? is that the lady in Hinsbeck that you are refering to. Yes my husband knows her, he is German and has lived here all his life. He has a business and she is a client of his. Small world !!! Shame that you are no longer here but thankyou very much for the information, I think it would be a good idea tao contact her. I am often very homesick and desperate to make new contacts. And yes you are right, were are all the rolling hills !

By the way I live in Breyell.

I can't remember the name of the lady in Hinsbeck I am afraid but it probebly is the same person. You will have to ask if she remembers a brown skinny English girl who took part in a sports compertition for their club a few years ago.

I will PM you with the telephone number and e-mail of the English lady (her name is Kerry Holthuisen) in Leuth when my daughter gets home from school as she has the info as she keeps in contact with her daughter.

You must have moved to Nettetal at the same time I did. I spent 6 months there before my, now, husband got a unexpected posting to France (so much for being excited about living in Germany). Now been in France 3 & 1/2 years and will be moving again in December. Spent many an hour tramping up and down the road to Kaldenkerchen for my daughter to catch the train to Mönchengladbach for school.

I do remember that we would get very excited when we went over a sleeping policeman or a bump in the road..sad I know

Hi Corinne

It would be great to have a local English contact so if you could send me her details I would be grateful. Yes we must have been here at the same time , Its a shame I didnt look on the britboard before. Was the school in M/bach an English school ? Only my eldest son is in a German school and has been for the past 2 years, he is fluent in both english and german but is still not really happy there. He has made friends but no really good friends and im not really impressed with it either.

The school in Mönchengladbach was a German school but it has special classes for non German speaking children which my daughter was at the time. She was the only English speaker in her class and I was amazed at the number of different nationalities in one class. They have kind of fast track German lessons and the school aims to get the children moved from the special section into the normal German streem in about 2 years. After 6 months my daughter was able to accepted at a Gymnasium in Kehl close to where we live at the moment.

It is great if your child does not speak German but I would not necceseraly recommend it if the language is not a problem. I don't really know what the normal German part of the school was like exactly but it did come over as your typical City school. If a teacher was off the kids just got sent home and it did happen quite a lot. My daughter went from being picked up from school by a childminder in England to being a latch key kid who had to get herself home by train at the age of ten. Lot harder for me to deal with than here luckly.

Have a chat with Kerry and I am sure she can give you a lot better idea of schools that your son will get on better at. Kids being unhappy at school can be quite upsetting for all. There is an English school on the Army base (Rheindahlen) which I have heard is very good but is does cost an arm and a leg if your not in the Forces.

Hi Corinne
I will contact kerry. Im sure there are many things she can advise me on.
Have a good weekend.
Tan

Isn't there anyone in or around Nettetal on this board who can offer any help?

How about all those who go to Venlo to buy their beer? Men who will travel further than their local to get their beer must be the type who would make an effort to help or is it just beer thats worth such dedication? :$

Point well made Corinne ! Although Nettetal is fairly unknown. If people are unsure of were it is, D/dorf and Krefeld approx 30 mins , M/bach 20 mins, Viersen 15 mins and Venlo 5 mins.

Or even better described as being between Venlo and Viersen/Mönchengladbach just off the BAB61

How big is Nettetal, is it worth visiting? When we got to Venlo, we sometimes drive back on the main roads...

No it is not worth visiting well not the town I lived many many years in the Wegberg area and know Nettetal too

Nettetal is made up of 5 small towns, Breyell, Leuth, Hinsbeck, Lobberich and Schaag. And yes it is not the most interesting place to be. But if you have young kids as I do it beats living in a city where you are scared to let them play in them front garden. Especially as in Germany children are given amazing amounts of freedom and are expected to be very independent from a young age, which I, having been born in London have had a hard time dealing with. So although its a quiet and to be honest a fairly boring place, unless that is your a fanatic bike rider, it suits me from a safety point of view. From a selfish point of view its crap and therefore does not suit me.

I agree it is a quiet area. I was not trying to put it down but I also found it boting as my old boss lives there and has a motorbike shop in the town.
So you were born in London, me too in Woolwich but moved away as a young child to Canvey Island...

Thats no problem, you can put it down as much as you want to, saves me doing it, I get on my husbands nerves complaining about it all the time. Yeah I was born in West London but we also moved away, when I was 7. My family originally come from east London. By the way had many a happy holiday as a child in Canvey Island. And also know the motorbike shop. They must be the only other brits around here.

There must be hundreds of brits around there JHQ is not far away nor is Viersen and Krefeld.

Talking about Canvey Island it is just not the same as it used to be. Did you go to any of the holiday camps? probably Kings as it is the biggest. My hunting ground in the early 70's was Thorney Bay Caravan Site

In three weeks time I will be back in London visitng family and getting some shopping in. Of course a trip to Blue Water or two is on the books. But no time to visit Canvey I think, will see what happens...

Sorry cant remember the name but yes it was one of the main holiday camps , have to ask my dad next time I speak to him. Had exellent times there though, real family holidays with all my cousins, aunts and uncles etc (massive family).

Regarding your comments on brits in this area , have only met 1 since I have been here, have heard there are many in this area but find it hard to believe.

Will also be heading back to UK as soon as my son breaks up for summer hols. Cant wait, really cant get back soon enough. To say I get a little home sick would be the biggest understatement. There really is no place like home!

Dear Tan,
I have replied once to your message but I don`t think i did it correctly. I am the English lady who lives in Leuth, you spoke to Corrine about me. I have lived in Germany for 20 years so I know all about going through phases of home sickness.It would be great to meet up. Breyll is only down the road from Leuth (a short bike ride away.) I`ve been in Cornwall for the summer but it`s time for school and work again now. The name Minnack from Cornwall. Please leave a meessage for me, it would be great to hear from you.
Minnack

hi tan -

i am in neuss - just across the river from d/dorf! - so am not to far from u??? (must look on map to check where u are!) i am from GB - but no kids (yet???!) newish to the britboard, & have been in germany 2 & 1/2 years - working as a nurse in a local hospital -

if u want to get in contact? pm me or leave a message here for me!

Hi Hellsbells and Minnack,
Thanks for your messages, have sent pm to both.
Tan