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.
JOHN HICKOX, who is 68 tomorrow (happy birthday!), writes:
‘During the early Sixties, living at Abbots Farm, Wiston, near Steyning in Sussex, and attending Steyning Grammar School, I became friendly with a girl f rom Kings Manor School in Shoreham.
‘ Her name was Carolyn Sykes, and she lived at 12 Ingram Road, Steyning.
‘After school, I moved away, initially to Manchester, and lost contact. It would be nice t o correspond with her again to see how her life has panned out.
‘I eventually married and have two children and now live in Oldbury in the West Midlands with my wife.
‘It would be great if you could find Carolyn and she was happy to be put in contact with me again.
‘I am now retired, but I started in Taplow as an analytical chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, then in the food industry for Brooke Bond Liebig, in Henley-on-Thames, later moving to Bromley-by-Bow to work for English Gin Distillers.
‘My final job was as site manager for Alcohols Ltd at its distillery in Langley Green, West Midlands.
‘At school, Carolyn and I were introduced by Jennifer Tosspell, also from Kings Manor, who was the girlfriend and later wife of my friend, David Boyd. We spent time mainly at friends’ parties or visiting each other’s houses.
‘Carolyn was active in her school’s drama society. Our main interest together was on Sunday evenings to go to the ol d Sports Stadium in Brighton to watch Brighton Tigers play ice hockey.
‘ Thanks f or t aking on my story.’ A FEW months ago Maureen Carr, nee Bohill, was hoping to find anyone who was a nurse at Middlesbrough General Hospital when she did her training there, from 1949 to 1952.
‘They include Doris Winspear, Joyce Taylor, Mary Plows and Doris Garbutt ( nee Peel). Also Ann Wigglesworth, my staff nurse when I was ward sister in the hospital’s children’s ward.
‘ I’ m still i n touch with another of the girls, Audrey Blake, nee Reeks. We all started our nurse training at Middlesbrough General and enjoyed our three years together.
‘We took state final exams there in February 1952. At the end of the exam, Sister Tutor collected our papers and was gone what seemed a very long time. On her return she told us she had bad news.
‘I asked: “We’ve all failed?” Sister said: “No. The King has died.”
The next day was my 21st birthday and the matron, Miss Patmore, gave me a surprise party.
‘We became staff nurses and late one night returned to the nurses’ home and got in through Joyce’s bedroom window. Night Sister caught us! Luckily, she didn’t report us. We left to do midwifery training in Newcastle on Tyne. Now I am 82, a widow and living in a retirement village in Birmingham. I often wonder where my f ellow trainee nurses are now.’
We’ve managed to produce one missing nurse, at least, via this email: ‘My friend in the UK saw the article in the Mail about Maureen Carr wanting to trace colleagues of 1952.
‘I am Joyce Hamper, nee Taylor. I am living in Australia and would very much like to contact Maureen. It would be so nice to be back in touch with her.’
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 TraceSmart (www.tracesmart.co.uk). A small donation will be requested for employing Gill Whitley’s services.