THE mystery of a war-time romance which featured in Bygones has finally been solved.

A bundle of letters found in the rubble of demolished homes in Audley, Blackburn, and dating from 1945, had been sent in by a reader and we wondered whether the romance had survived the upheaval of the war.

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They had been written by someone called Hannah, who lived in Essex Street with her grandmother, to her boyfriend, leading aircraftsman Fred Sanderson, who was with the RAF in Glamorgan.

The couple exchanged letters every day, as Fred waited to be demobbed.

In one note Hannah told Fred: “I’ll try and wait for you, because I love you enough to get married someday.

“You know I could have got married when I was 18, to Jack, that sailor, but I took notice of grandma and was glad I did, because I’ve now got you Fred and I love you - and I mean it.

“I know Jack was tall, dark and handsome but he was a poor do at writing to me."

Hannah signed many of her letters B.O.L.T.O.P. and we wondered how many readers knew what the initials stood for?

Well several readers got in touch to tell us that it meant that a kiss was … Better On Lips Than On Paper, though seemingly there were saucier versions as well.

One reader told us that Hannah would have been Hannah Hindle and Fred would have been Frederick William Sanderson - and their marriage lasted 50 years.

Local history researcher Tony Foster then got on the trail and discovered that romance did indeed survive wartime mayhem.

Hannah and Fred married at St Luke's Blackburn on May 24, 1947 when Hannah was aged 21 and living at 27 Essex Street.

Fred was 24 and his home was at 134 Higher Audley Street. Tony believes they had one child, Kevin, born in 1950.

So, is there a Kevin Sanderson out there, whose parents were called Hannah and Fred? If so, we have some old letters which will interest him.

And that will leave just the one puzzle … who was Jack. You might know him. Sailor. Tall, dark and handsome chap. Wasn't much of a letter writer …