The longest journey

Towards the end of last year, we published a photograph of Rose Lane School pupils taken in 1947-48. A copy of the article ended up travelling all the way to New Zealand where it was read by Joe Dobson, now living in Auckland.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Mar 2014, 10:34 BST

Joe subsequently wrote to us to say he appears in the photograph – centre of the back row - and went on to tell us about two more of the people who appear in it. The picture, which was originally submitted by Liz Mayston, is reprinted here.

Nigel Driver sent Joe the Chronicle cutting and also appears in the photo, fourth from left in the second to back row. He is now married to Wendy and they live in Sandy, having had a son and daughter who are both in Sydney, Australia. Another in the picture is Bob Crook, third right in the middle row, who also emigrated to Australia in 1961 with wife Pat. Bob is now a widower but they had three daughters and nine grandchildren who also live in Sydney.

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Although geographically far apart, Joe has managed to keep in touch with both Nigel and Bob. He says: “We all met at junior school in Church Street, Biggleswade in 1942. I myself migrated to New Zealand in January 1955. I have a son and daughter and three grandchildren. I too am a widower but was married to Rosanna in 1957.”

Thanks go to Joe for getting in touch. It just goes to show that the Chronicle really does manage to reach parts of the world that other local newspapers don’t!

Related topics:New ZealandAustralia