Readers' letters from Saturday 19 May 2012

My wife Betty (née Cox) and I will be celebrating our Golden Wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 26.We would really like to find Barbara Wilde who was my wife’s best friend at the time. Barbara used to live in the Church Lane area of Gorton. Along with us she followed Belle Vue speedway and went to the supporters’ club at Anson Co-op hall in Longsight.If Barbara is still in the area or if anyone knows her, please get in touch.

David Butterworth, 0161 430 5791, buttyhouse@btinternet.com

May Blackburn, from Gorton, emigrated to Australia in 1962. She has passed away aged 97, and is survived by her five daughters: Joyce, Jean, Marjorie, Ann and Audrey.If anyone remembers the Blackburn family and would like to contact any one of the girls we would love to hear from you.

Audrey Cooling, Australia, Tel: 00 61 3 5127 3289, glencool@aapt.net.au

There is to be an annual service of commemoration of HMS Blackcap’s Royal Naval air station at Stretton, Warrington, on Sunday, June 3.Any shipmates or civilian staff who served from 1942-1958 are invited to attend. It will be at St Cross Church at Appleton Thorn near Warrington, from midday. The service will be will be followed by refreshments at the village hall. The display of standards will be very welcome.

Bernie Cohen, Northenden, 0161 946 1209, b.cohen2@ntlworld.com

My sister and I are looking for any relatives of a Margaret Coffey who married  Joseph Harding. Joseph was the grandfather we never knew. He and Margaret got married in the 1950s or 60s, and we think they lived in Chorlton. We would love to know more about our family history and hope some of Margaret’s family can help.

Carol Phillips and Sandra Smith, Stretford, carol.phillips87@ntlworld.com

Former pupils of St Patrick’s school on Livesey Street, Collyhurst, are holding their annual Whit Friday dance on Friday, June 1.It will be at the Irish Heritage Centre on Queen’s Road, Cheetham Hill, from 8pm.We will be entertained by Jonathan Young and Carnaby Street who were a great success last year. Tickets are £5.

Sylvia Toboni, Chadderton, 0161 643 5225, or 01706 369749

I am working on my family history, and am looking for lost cousins. I am looking for the children or grandchildren of Hilda (née Houldsworth) and Alexander Richardson. Alexander was a butcher in the Manchester area. I think they had a daughter, Sandra, born 1944.I am also looking for the descendants of Aubrey Cockcroft. Aubrey had corresponded with my grandfather, George Wood (his cousin), after my grandfather emigrated to Saskatchewan. Aubrey sent cards from his time serving with the RAF AC Squadron located on the northern Indian frontier after the First World War.

George Wood, Canada, Tel: 00 1 780 484 2952, Willowstick@hotmail.com

As part of my family research I am looking for the two sons of Robert Lee whose last known address was Elm Grove, Levenshulme, around 1949.His sons will be approximately mid-to-late 60s if they are still alive.Does any reader have any idea of their whereabouts?

Sandy Monaghan, Sale, 07799 212097 max.mon@talktalk.net

I am looking for Peter David Biddle who was born in 1965 in Didsbury. He will now have another surname and possibly a new first name. He may now be called Stephen Buckley.

Barbara Reeve (née Biddle), Warrington, 07954 586478, philiplee636@gmail.com

I am trying to find out what happened to my aunt, Margaret O’Gorman.She left Ireland in 1937 or 38 and was supposed to go to Manchester.She was born in July, 1903, and lived in Balllyduff, County Waterford.Does anyone have any information about her?

Margaret Daunt, County Cork, Ireland

I was interested to read the letter from Sam McGrath (In Touch, May 12) regarding St John’s Primary School in Benchill. I was a pupil there from 1949 to 1956. Mr Hanlon was the headmaster, and the senior teacher was Mr Philpot, (a very strict but extremely good teacher).I really enjoyed my years at the school and have many happy memories of the concerts that we put on and the yearly holidays to Arklow in Ireland (the cost of which was £6.50 all inclusive!) We stayed at a place called Ballyduff Mill, which was fantastic and we used to walk into the village and to the beautiful beach. We always had a bonfire on our last night and the local children were invited to join in and watch the fireworks and share the food. Our dormitories were in the old converted millhouse and the loos were wooden constructions built over the stream which ran through the grounds of the mill. Also at St John’s were some friends of mine with the surname Foy. There were seven of them who were all very tiny. At the time there was a film out called The Seven Little Foys, starring Bob Hope, and the Foy family were invited to the local cinema to see it free of charge. Benchill was a great place in which to grow up. There were some lovely country walks and my father used to take us up the country lanes to watch the planes at Manchester Airport (Ringway as we then called it).Most of us had bikes then - my dad made mine and I was so proud of it – and we would all cycle to Castle Mills for the day, armed with our sandwiches and bottles of pop.  My father, Charlie Hession, was a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society at St John’s and he also did lots of work for the parish. He called bingo on a Friday night at the club, collected the weekly football pools money, and organised activities for the church.My father was a wonderful man who died in 1999 aged 87, so I don’t think there will be many of his old buddies still around now. The priests at the church then were Fr Murphy and Fr English. I just wondered if anyone reading this remembers these times in the 1950s and 60s? It would be great to hear from them.

Madeleine Jarrett (née Hession), Ashton, 0161 900 4685