MISSING . . . and FOUND!
THE DAILY MAIL offers readers a unique opportunity to re-establish contact with long-lost relatives and friends. Each week, MONICA PORTER features the story of someone trying to find a missing loved one, as well as a tale of people reunited. This column is produced in conjunction with the voluntary tracing service, Searching For A Memory, run by Gill and John Whitley.
‘I WOULD like to trace a girl I met in 1950,’ writes Barrie Sanderson. ‘I left school in 1948 and started work in Billy Hammett’s racing stable in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
‘At that time, there were four stables in a small area, and that year, a young lady came to work in Pat Taylor’s stable.
‘ Her name was Patricia Rose. I was smitten and, with the help of a friend who worked with her, I asked her out.
‘ We went to the Regal Cinema in Beverley and saw Neptune’s Daughter, which starred Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban.
‘Shortly after that, I went to Devizes, in Wiltshire, to do my National Service and we lost touch.
‘After basic training, I was sent to Egypt until demob. Then I worked at a timber firm, before joining the police force.
‘I married a lovely woman and had children, but sadly, my wife had multiple sclerosis and died at just 50.
‘I’d dearly love to contact Patricia again. She was a beautiful girl way back in 1950, with blonde hair that she wore in the same style as Doris Day.
‘I was ridiculously shy, and felt extremely lucky that she agreed to go out with me. At 17, I thought it was love.
‘I can only wonder why I didn’t try to keep in touch with her. I hope that you can help get us together again.’ IN JULY, this column featured Stewart Howie’s search for his best man.
‘I enlisted in the RAF in 1961 and served at stations abroad and in the UK, before retiring in 1984,’ he told us.
‘In 1967, I was posted to RAF Station Coningsby, Lincolnshire, as an accounts clerk and began courting Barbara Foers, who worked in the same building.
‘She lived a few miles from the camp and, before long, I wonderful to find out how his asked her to be my wife. life has turned out.’
‘We married at the local Sadly, Stewart’s search was village church in March 1968 a few months too late. We and spent our honeymoon received this email from in London. Heidi Lee, of Colchester: ‘I
‘My best man, Allan Black, saw your article about was a serving airman at Stewart Howie, who was Coningsby and a fellow Scot. looking for my dad. Born and bred in Dunferm‘I’m sad to say he passed line, he’d joined the RAF as a away in March. But Mum and boy entrant at 15. I would love to make contact
‘Alas, successive postings with Stewart. meant we lost touch. ‘ Dad didn’t have the
‘ Our golden wedding happiest or healthiest of lives anniversary is in March 2018 and was a quiet man, so to and I’m hoping to trace Allan know Stewart had thought so that he can attend our about him would have been celebrations. It would be so special.’
IF there is someone you would like to trace, write to Gill Whitley, 1 Newbrook house, New hall Lane, Preston, Pr1 5Pe, enclosing an SAe, or send an email to monica.porter@dailymail. co.uk — including a contact phone number. All communications will be answered as soon as possible. this column is researched with the aid of Peopletracer (www.peopletracer.co.uk). A small donation will be requested for employing Gill Whitley’s services.