Comments on: Alie Touw’s Life In Britain

By: Yvonne Cheyney

Yvonne Cheyney — Wed, 01 May 2019 03:01:28 +0000

A wonderful story. MORE please. Bless Ali for all those she helped during the War in Holland and took such risks. A movie or tv doc would be great.

By: Delia Folkard

Delia Folkard — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 11:04:50 +0000

I am also hoping there is a part four of this amazing documentary. It has the makings for a film and I’m already wondering who would be best to play Ali! Please thank her for telling us her story, I hope she didn’t find it too painful.

By: janet green

janet green — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 11:05:39 +0000

An amazing story about an amazing woman. Thank you so much for telling it.

By: Anders Bellis

Anders Bellis — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 00:20:24 +0000

Dear Gentle Author,

Alie Touw’s life story is one of the most overwhelmingly fascinating and gripping stories ever published on Spitalfields Life. And, I daresay, one of the most important. To get an eye witness account of the horrors of the Dutch occupied by Nazi Germany during WWII is not only heart-rending, but also a very important, historical document. We can read sterile history books about this and that army winning or losing this and that battle, or whatever, but the true horror of what happened comes through only when people who lived through it all tell us their stories.

I am also immensely impressed by the incredible resilience showed by Alie Touw, who managed to forge a life for herself and her family in the United Kingdom, moving there relatively late in life, adding the burden of learning and adapting to a foreign culture after having lived through WWII in the country of her origin. Few are those who could have accomplished this as brilliantly as she obviously did.

You did this as a series in three parts. Let me tell you, I was waiting with great impatience and much anticipation for part 2 and 3 after having read part 1. I was not disappointed.

Even for Spitalfields Life, this was extraordinary.

And that says more than you may even realise yourself.

Thank you. And my very warmest thanks to and my sincere admiration for Alie Touw.

By: gkbowood

gkbowood — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 16:07:33 +0000

I agree with Annie G.- We want to know the rest of her story!!

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 15:30:25 +0000

What a life story this lady has lived – and survived to tell the tale. I’m old enough to remember Windrush, and was shocked when locals could be so verbally cruel to who after all were guests in our country. I was only a child, but think this was the trigger for me to fight for injustice all my life.

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 12:07:17 +0000

A hundred years is a long life. If your memory stays with you for that long you can say that you are lucky because there will be so many. On the other hand some of them may not be good memories. but they are the memories that make you what you are, good or bad.
In a way the bad memories can be like grist to the mill . They strengthen your character. Going through hard times and coming out on top gives your life purpose. Alie has been through hard times and come out on top. I have also been through hard times .
I tried to give this bit of information to my children. Young people should not crumble at the first sign of failure or depression. The clouds are only there for a while.

By: David Tarrant

David Tarrant — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 08:55:26 +0000

A fascinating glimpse into the life of a remarkable lady. I’ve assimilated two gems from this series:
TGA’s observation that when Alie goes shopping, folk on the streets little realise there’s a time traveller in their midst and; Alie’s belief that good housekeeping is the basis of civilisation.
Words of wisdom indeed.

By: Jill Wilson

Jill Wilson — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 08:43:39 +0000

Interesting to hear how her story moved on, and she obviously had a very strong marriage partnership.

The incident with the black boy was a shocking example of the horrible colour prejudice which was around then. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen today.

By: Di Corry

Di Corry — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 08:35:16 +0000

Thank you Alie for sharing your remarkable story with the GA and with us all.
A story which is full of courage, humility, endeavour and the strength of the human spirit.
You look amazing for a Centenarian!