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. ‘WHEN I was girl, I lived in Accra, Ghana, with my sister Elizabeth and our parents,’ writes retired nurse Harrie Glossop, nee Owen, who now lives near Camberley, Surrey.
‘We were there in the late Fifties. My father was a manager for a construction company building roads and the new Tema Harbour. We joined in the independence celebrations and my parents attended a ball when Prince Philip came on a state visit.
‘I went to school in the mornings at the local British Army post, followed by afternoons at the beach. I remember playing in the sea while the locals rowed boats from vessels off the coast, bringing in imported goods. All exciting and great fun.
‘During the long holidays, three English boys, whose father was a BOAC pilot at Accra airport, joined their parents from a boarding school in the UK.
‘I’d spend the holidays with the two older boys, Jeffrey and Kevin Derrick. I didn’t see the third son, Clive, often. Their visits were a welcome change in my colonial life.
‘The Ghanaian people were welcoming and very cheerful. When I learned we were to live there, I imagined all the animals I’d see. Sadly, Ghana is known for its poisonous snakes and not exotic game!
‘I’ve always wondered what became of the boys and how their lives played out.’ ‘RECENTLY this photo and I came wondered across what became of my old friends in the Durdham Rangers football team,’ writes Gerald Bennett.
‘It was taken in 1963 on Durdham Downs, Bristol. The team was started a few years earlier, when some young lads from the Westbury Park area decided to organise a group and play matches in the Downs League.
‘Our team included Bob Randall, Mike Tandy, Lee Parker, Tony Badger, Peter Probyn, George Bawn, Donald Furze, Barry Jones, Richard Lay and Paddy Punchard. It petered out when we all went off to university or full-time work.’ We have received emails from three of the footballers — Bob Randall, Peter Probyn and Mike Tandy. And volunteer researchers Jeff Pinson and David Kilby tracked down a few more. ‘It’s been like a whirlwind,’ says Gerald. ‘I’ll be ringing my old friends and team members, and I hope we can meet up before too long.’
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 (peopletracer.co.uk). A small donation will be requested for employing Gill Whitley’s services.