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.
Sandra duxbury, nee ames, of upminster, is trying to trace her cousins Marion and Linda ames.
She writes: ‘Linda was born in december 1944 and I in January 1945 — there were only 13 days between us. Marion is a couple of years older. We all grew up in Hackney, attending Gayhurst road Infants and Junior School. Their dad was called Leslie ames, and his brother bill was my dad. They lived at that time in reading Lane and we lived round the corner in Horton road. My aunt, their mum, was called babs.
‘My father ran the family upholstery business while uncle Leslie at one time owned a club in the West End, but later joined the family business. We were all quite close. My cousins often came to our house for dinner. but in the mid-Fifties Leslie and babs divorced. I believe babs later married, possibly a professional boxer. They had a pub in Mare Street, Hackney. I last saw them at uncle Leslie’s funeral in about 1976, then we lost contact.
‘I know that Marion married a man called arthur and moved to new Zealand, and I think Linda married a man in the motor trade, lived in north London (dollis Hill?) and had three children. This photo of Marion and Linda was taken at Hackney register Office in about 1954. We were close as children and it would be great to catch up.’ THREE months ago Linda Heaton told us: ‘I’d dearly like to trace Kathleen Ensor, my best friend during my schooldays.
We went to Green rock Primary, in Walsall, West Midlands, from 1949 to 1955, and then on to blue Coat C of E Secondary, also in Walsall. Kathleen was an only child and in her early schooldays lived in abbots Street, bloxwich, whilst I lived in abbots Street north — just a continuation with newer houses.
‘ We were inseparable, always sitting side by side in our lessons. I was sporty, while Kathleen was arty and had a beautiful singing voice. after finally leaving school in 1960 I went into banking and Kathleen got an office job.
‘We kept in touch for several years, although we lived and worked miles apart.
‘I believe Kathleen married in the late Sixties and had a son, but that is the last I know of her. as we are now in our 70s, it would be wonderful to meet again and renew our friendship.’
Our sleuths Jeff Pinson and david Kilby found contact details for the now Kathleen Sturch, who lives in birmingham, and we put the two old pals in touch.
Linda updates us: ‘Thank you so much for sending me Kathleen’s details. We spoke on the phone today and she was delighted that I had got in touch.
‘We’ve agreed to meet for lunch and a long, long catch-up!’