AN 81 year-old man who lives in France is desperately searching for his pen friend from Reading who he had a romantic connection with in the fifties.

Hermann Mueller-Solger is looking for Mandy (Amanda Deacon) who he wrote to from 1955 until about 1960.

Hermann explained he was attending a state run boarding school in northern Germany and was introduced to Mandy through a contact at the Reading Youth Orchestra when he asked to find a pen friend.

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Mandy played the flute and Hermann was learning to play the violin.

Each week, Hermann received "four lovely pages" from Mandy who wrote about her family and home at Gosbrook Road, Caversham.

Hermann said there was "certainly romance" between the pair.

He added: "But understand, it was in the fifties.

"Expression was mostly indirect.

"In the end she dared to say that there had been love.

"I agreed of course, but I saw no way to follow up on it and to come together."

Hermann revealed he has never managed to see Mandy in person.

When he had saved enough money for travelling he was offered to buy a violin of his own and he took this option.

He said he was "quite shy and caught in romantic feelings that did not dare to be exposed to the real world".

Hermann said Mandy's letters were lost when his mother moved house and the pair then "separated".

Later in life, Hermann married Sigrid who "became wonderfully loving and supportive to him" and they had two children.

In 1998 he took a train to Reading as he was on business in London and had a day off.

He found Mandy's house, but not Mandy.

In 2018, his wife Sigrid passed away and was buried in Burgundy, France, where he lives now.

After his wife's passing, Hermann said: "I think that silent wish to see Mandy, to mend a missed opportunity of my youth time, has been coming up again.

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"I would be very happy to learn that Mandy is fine and remembers me.

"I would of course travel right away to see her."

He added: "Looking back I am very grateful to Mandy.

"She was a voice from a better world speaking to me with trust and sharing many of my feelings. "Somehow she was a star that I had discovered, far away, but shining for me."

If you can help to find Mandy email alice.knight@newsquest.co.uk.