Hamburg  - Every other Thursday, a Hamburg movie house puts away its screen in the hope of bringing people together to listen to a story read aloud.

Berlin (dpa) - Television, whether it broadcasts a football match from 1954 or the first lunar landing, used to be more of a group experience which a club in Berlin club hopes to recreate.

Amsterdam  - "Nothing is holy, except the love between two people" - that's the motto adopted by gay and lesbian groups to celebrate Amsterdam's first Pink Christmas this year.

Munich  - Winter sports enthusiasts should take along their own ski glasses when buying a ski helmet because not every helmet can be worn with every pair of glasses, said a German ski safely foundation and the German ski association.

The glasses should be flush with the helmet across the face. They should not press on the bone of the nose and neither the helmet nor the glasses should impair the skier's vision.

Whether a skier wears a half-skull or full skull helmet is a matter of taste, experts say. Half-skull helmets differ in many ways, including their soft ear pads, which can be removed on warm days. Children and skiers who race should wear the half-skull model, according to the foundation and the association.

Hamburg  - A survey among junior managers in Germany has found that a majority believe their bosses do not listen to what they say.

Only one in six (17 per cent) described their superiors as "very good listeners," according to the poll taken among 400 managers by the Management Leadership Academy in the town of Ueberlingen on Lake Constance.

Many of the managers said work appraisals by their bosses were poor. Only one in eight (12 per cent) was completely satisfied with feedback from the top. Around 44 per cent said feedback was "good".

Frankfurt, Germany  - Franz Simon, a senior citizen from Frankfurt, enjoys using his local playground every day.

When going for a stroll, the 80-year-old likes to use a foot rocker in a forest playground for children and elderly people that has been a public amenity since 2007.

"I immediately fell in love with the foot rocker because old and young people can use it together," said Simon of the "cross generational exercise machine."