The Road Ahead

Christabel Bielenberg, a niece of Lord Northcliffe, married a German lawyer in 1934. She lived through the war as a German citizen, experiencing the horrors of Nazi rule and Allied bombings, and these experiences were related in her memoir, "The Past Is Myself", which was adapted for television by Denis Potter under the title "Christobel". Her story continues in this sequel. When the war ended, Chistobel worked for "The Observer" as a special correspondent in Germany. Then her husband's near-fatal accident and her own illness persuaded them to turn their backs on England and Germany, and to take up farming in Ireland, where she found humour in the accidents of poverty and the mishaps of country life. The beautiful scenery of Wicklow provided a haven for the young family and for the many of young people who joined them each summer, and Christobel became involved with the Peace Women.