MISSING . . . and FOUND!
THE DAILY MAIL offers readers a uniqueopportunity to re-establish contact with longlost relatives and friends. Eachweek, MONICA PORTER features the story of someone tryingtofind a missing loved one, as well as a taleof people reunited. Thiscolumn is produced inconjunction with the voluntarytracing-service, Searching For A Memory, run by Gill and John Whitley.
Ann DormAn, nee Hodgetts, is looking for a friend from her youth — mary Bruce. They attended classes together at the Joan Watts School of Dancing in Carshalton, Surrey.
mary had a sister, margaret, and brother, Ian, and in the Forties the family lived on Tritton Avenue in Beddington, Croydon. In the Sixties, mary married David morgan and moved to Cadogan Square in London’s Knightsbridge.
‘I was at the Joan Watts School from 1940 to 1953,’ writes Ann. ‘my photo shows mary and me at Purley Way Swimming Baths, near Croydon, in the summer holidays of 1949.
‘mary is on the far left, and beside her is my cousin Gwen, who was visiting from Birmingham at the time. The girl in front is our friend Dorothy Williams (whose whereabouts, too, I’d love to know.)
‘my mother, milly Hodgetts, is next in the back row. In front of her is my brother, Graham, who took tap lessons at the same dancing school until dissuaded by his classmates!
‘Then there is me, aged 12 or 13, wearing a “new look” dress. The two young men on the right are friends visiting from Staffordshire.
‘I ran a little dancing school while training to be a teacher at St Gabriel’s Teacher Training College in Camberwell. my crossroads was when I chose to teach at my old school in Croydon, the Greggs School, instead of accepting an offer to dance professionally at the Windsor Theatre after attending an audition there.
‘I am now 78 and live happily in retirement with my 87-yearold husband, Ernie, an artist and retired art teacher. We have two lovely daughters and four grandchildren.’ BACK in march, Kevin Threlfall — former director of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC — asked for our help in locating a missing member of his school rugby team of 1966-67.
‘ I’m hosting a 50- year reunion of the team and there is only one member I have been unable to contact,’ wrote Kevin.
‘His name is michael Latham Brennen and his last known address was in Durham City, where he lived in the Sixties. He attended Denstone College in Uttoxeter from 1962 to 1967.
‘I’d love to make contact with michael before our reunion. my photo of the team in 1967 shows him standing on the far right next to the master.
‘ I was sent to Denstone College, an all-boys boarding school, at the age of 13 in 1962 and it was every young boy’s dream to eventually play in its 1st XV rugby team. As you can imagine, it was a great honour to be selected.
‘In 1966-67, I played in the 1st XV and we were the first team ever to win all 14 matches in the rugby season. We were voted the best school team in Britain.’
Ta-dah! our ace researcher David Kilby traced michael to his present home in Flintshire, north Wales. We passed details to Kevin and soon afterwards he emailed: ‘mission accomplished! The address is spot on and michael was delighted to hear from me. Well done, and many, many thanks.
‘Please pass on my gratitude to your super-sleuth!’
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.