CYRIL Challinor was once part of an intrepid trio of travellers who embarked on a 1,500-mile trek to the Berlin Wall.
And now 20 years on from the toppling of the infamous ‘iron curtain’, the concrete remnants remain as souvenirs at his Ashbourne home.
In a spur of the moment decision and armed with their passports, plastic bags, a lump hammer and a stone chisel, the trio - Frank Gould, Cyril Challinor and the late Colin Wilson — set off on Friday, November 17, to catch the 4am Dover to Ostend ferry.
Almost 10 hours later they arrived at the East Germany border and one-and-a-half hours later they were at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin.
A media frenzy still besieged the once seemingly invincible wall; television crews captured the carnival atmosphere amidst flag waving, singing and champagne corks popping.
Mr Challinor recalled how the whole city seemed to be vibrating with the incessant noise of hammers, chisels and crow bars hacking at the foundations of the structure.
He said: “It was like being at Wembley, the atmosphere was immense and looking back I was glad to be a part of such a momentous and historic occasion.” But despite the jubilant atmosphere, the trio also witnessed a Fascist protest against the liberation of East Berliners the very same night from their centrally located hotel.
The atmosphere in East Berlin was a very different setting, the area was deserted at the Brandenburg Gate on that side.
The trio arrived home at 3am on the Tuesday morning and we were all back at work six hours later and all the richer for their experience and each proud as the next man of their souvenirs.
Mr Challinor added: “After seeing the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall revisited on television recently, it brought back so many memories and it was a coincidence that I happened to see these souvenirs as I was searching for something else. But I was glad I was there at the time to see it unfold in person.”