The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 1961: a symbol of united and divodedGermany.(German Federal Press Office)

DIARIES are strange things. They record a person's most intimatethoughts at times of need, when the writer is unable to turn to a friendor companion with whom to share their feelings. That these deeply personalvolumes become public property so often is perhaps more surprising; yet itis so, and Beckenham resident Peter Johnson is the latest author to sharehis memories with us.

Now retired and a freelance journalist and translator, Mr Johnson has adistinguished career as a Reuters and BBC correspondent behind him.In1955, he was sent by Reuters to Germany to cover the Cold War, and it isthis time that Mr Johnson describes in his book, Reuter Reporter inDivided Germany 1955-58 The past fills Mr Johnson's home.Hefty-looking German tomes line the bookshelves and posters proclaim thebeauty of the Fatherland from the walls. Ornaments and photographs,trinkets and papers seem to take up every inch of available space.

I observed to Mr Johnson that "he seems to be a collector". "SomeRussian students once visited me here and said my home was like a museum,"he said. Mr Johnson began his career in the Reuters office in Bonn, withfive or six other correspondents, regularly visiting East Germany.

News on the developing communist state was gleaned through reliablecontacts. Although there was no formal censorship, the official newsagency, according to Mr Johnson, was selective in what it reported. Duringthis fragile stage of German history, feelings of guilt and shame over theevents of the Nazi era were widespread.

"I believe the vast majority of Germans did not know about themurder of the Jews," said Mr Johnson. Germany's battered economywas still weak after the excesses of the Second World. Yet, said MrJohnson, he admired how hard the Germans worked. "I was impressed bythe co-operation between management and employees," he said.

"Even then, it was better than in Britain." Some of the issuesMr Johnson covered were the stuff of reporters' dreams - thecrushing of the Hungarian revolution by Russian troops in 1956 and thelaunch of the first Sputnik. He was also in Germany for the Munich aircrash in 1958 that killed eight of Manchester United's Busby Babes. "Therewas a lot of sympathy in Germany for the players' families and thefans. British football was followed there," he said. Mr Johnson'snew book covers his first years as a foreign correspondent, and subsequentdiaries cover stints in Russia and at the BBC.

Whether we will be afforded further glimpses of his world depends on howmany books we buy. Peter Johnson's book, Reuter Reporter in DividedGermany 1955-58, can be bought direct from him at 47 Braeside, Beckenham,Kent, BR3 IST, priced £6.95.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.