And FOUND!
IN JANUARY, Billy Plain and Alex Belcher were looking for childhood friends from World War II. ‘It would be great to find as many as possible,’ wrote Billy, ‘and meet up in Finsbury Park, where we all lived back then, to down a pint or two and talk about old times.’ Alex and Billy regularly stroll around the area and reminisce.
‘So far we have traced teddy Fitch, who still lives in Rock Street,’ said Billy. ‘others we would love to see again are Billy Guest, Johnny Casey, John Reid, Stan Jones, Derek Reason, Kenny Salmon, David Peacock, Dick turner, Alan King, Jimmy Shaw, Derek Florin, Ron Foster, David Rodder, Alan haley, Lenny Cowell, John Miles, Bobby Buckeridge and Wally Joyce.
‘the girls are Edie Joyce, Pat Bishop, Chrissy Fraser, Renee Jones, Renee De Cross and Pat Pugy. It would be great to get them all to a reunion.
‘We have vivid memories — watching a doodlebug fly over the roof of our house and crash into King’s Cross Station; watching dogfights in the air; collecting shrapnel. We slept on the platform at Finsbury Park tube station. All around us houses were destroyed while we were mucking about in the streets . . . and every one of us survived without a scratch!’
Well, we have garnered two of the old gang — Kenny Salmon and John Miles.
And terry Cowell emails: ‘I’m a bit younger than Billy and Alex but went to the same school (holloway County) and was in the same class as Dave Rodder (mentioned in the article).
‘My uncle Bob Buckeridge (ten years older than me and still kicking) would have known all those mentioned. they were tough times but seemed great if you were a kid.’
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.