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. ‘MY WIFE Maureen and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary at the end of September,’ writes John Gynn. ‘I’ve been trying, without success, to track down my best man, Bernard Reid.
‘ We both worked for Daniel C. Griffith & Co, a metals analytical company in Paul Street, London EC2.
‘I joined at the age of 15 as a trainee on December 31, 1962. Bernard was the previous trainee and showed me the ropes.
‘He rode a Vespa scooter and we were both into the Swinging Sixties scene — particularly the Merseybeat sound.
‘Maureen and I had a flat in Hackney, where Bernard often visited us. He lived in Abbey Wood, South East London, and, as far as I know, was still living there when we lost touch.
‘ We worked together in London until the company moved to Witham, Essex.
‘Maureen and I moved to Coggeshall, near Colchester, to be closer to work, but Bernard decided not to relocate and joined the paper manufacturer Bowater-Scott in South London.
‘That’s the last I know of his whereabouts.
‘By the time I retired at 61, I was managing director of Daniel C. Griffith & Co’s UK arm.
‘I still live in Coggeshall, enjoying bowls, gardening and travel. Maureen and I turned 70 this year and would love to re- establish contact with our old friend Bernard.’ IN THE summer, we ran a lovely tale from Marian Martin.
‘My picture is of a girls’ outing to Southend in July 1965. We were all colleagues at Westminster Bank credit clearing, Mincing Lane, in the City of London.
‘Some of us are still in touch, but we’d love to find the three girls we have not been able to trace: Pat Brignell, Maria Brown and Jenny Duncan.
‘We would also love to hear from anyone who worked with us from 1965 to 1968.
‘We were a gang of ten who worked and socialised together, and attended each other’s 21st birthdays, engagement parties and weddings. Many of us turn 70 this year and would love to invite our fondly remembered missing colleagues to our celebrations.’
We’ve already put them in touch with Dennis Friend, 92, who wrote: ‘ I was delighted to read about the girls of credit clearing.
‘I was their manager and vividly recall them dancing on the desks one Christmas after a liquid lunch! Please give them my best regards.’
Now, we’ve heard from Christine Turner.
‘With Ruth Foster, I started at Mincing Lane in 1965 and worked for the bank for 30 years. We remember many of the girls and would love to get back in touch,’ she says.