JUST over a year ago, I was reading this page and saw a letter about the work in Church Street, Blackburn, from a lady who signed herself Mrs V Boothman of Shepton Mallet, in Somerset.

She was upset about what 'they' were doing to ruin her birthplace and went on about how her father had been an independent councillor on Blackburn Council in the late 1950s and early 1960s and had opposed the plans for major work to be carried out on the town centre.

I realised that this letter was from a very dear friend of mine at junior school. At 11 we had been sent to different schools and had completely lost touch.

I rang the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and asked if I wrote a letter to her whether they would forward it to her address. A few days later I had a reply from Valerie, my friend.

She had been dumbfounded to hear from me after all these years, but absolutely delighted. Since then, we have written regularly to each other catching up on the intervening years.

Just recently, I went with my husband on holiday to Devon and we met Valerie and her husband, John, halfway between our hotel and Shepton Mallet for a reunion lunch. It was wonderful.

We wondered if we would recognise each other after 54 years! But we did and spent three hours reminiscing.

So thank you to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph for bringing us together after so long.

LILIAN HARGREAVES, Mytton Fold Farm, Langho.