REDDITCH'S busiest pensioner is bidding Auf Wiedersehen to the town to set up a new life in Germany.

Barbara Ziglis says she has been enjoying "the long farewell" as all the friends she has made over the last 21 years wish her the best for her future in pastures new.

The 71 year old is moving to Germany at the end of this month to be with her daughter Angela, who married a German last year following a four-year courtship, which started while in Ecuador.

Mrs Ziglis said: "I am very excited but also sad at the thought of leaving behind all the friends I have made over the years.

''Redditch has been extremely kind to me. This town gets a lot a lot of knocking but I have been very happy here and met some wonderful people."

Mrs Ziglis, a widow, and Angela moved to Redditch more than two decades ago after six years living in Germany.

"I chose Redditch because I knew one family here, my daughter liked it here and it seemed like a good place," she said.

During her career as a teacher, she worked in Birmingham but after retiring, she continued teaching in Redditch at St John Fisher, St Luke's, Moons Moat, Woodrow First schools and Pitcheroak.

"I met some fantastic people in the schools in Redditch and had some wonderful times," said the Wood Court resident.

Other jobs included front of house at the Palace Theatre where she met best friend Paul Hughes, receptionist for Relate and witness support volunteer at the magistrates court. She was also a room steward at Coughton Court.

During her time in the town, Mrs Ziglis became an active member of the community, joining drama and vocal groups including the Primrose Choir, Arrow Vale Singers, Studley Signets, and Redditch Amateur Theatre Society (RATS).

And she still found time for her faith as a member of both St Luke's and St Stephen's churches, where she also worked in the Christian Word shop.

"It has been a busy but very happy 21 years," she said.

Mrs Ziglis' new life will be in a village about 30 minutes from the capital Berlin and she has already been offered the chance to teach beginners' English to local pensioners.

"There is a real desire for people to learn English. It's old East Germany and they didn't learn English at school because it was seen as a capitalist language - instead they learnt Russian."