A NEW website has been set up to help reunite past workers at Calderstones in Whalley.

Taking its cue from the tremendously successful Friends Reunited website which has put thousands of old school friends back in touch, Calderstones Reunited aims to do the same for colleagues past and present at the hospital.

One of its founders Carole Goodsell trained as a nurse at Calderstones in the 1960s and after recently meeting up for a meal at Mitton Hall with some former colleagues, they had the idea of setting up the website.

Carole, who now lives with husband Bob in Folkestone, said: "As many people in the Burnley, Clitheroe, Accrington and Blackburn areas have been associated with Calderstones either by working there or knew people who worked there, or in fact are working there at the present time, it made us think a website would generate a lot of interest in those areas.

"The aim of the website is to rekindle old friendships and maybe form new ones and discuss events and stories relating to Calderstones and the surrounding community.

"It's open to anyone really, people who want to get in touch with friends who worked there or their families."

The website allows people to exchange messages, post pictures and catch up with the gossip.

Carole lived on the site between 1964 and 1977, as did most staff around that time and said several close bonds were forged.

She said: "My lasting memory of the place are the close friends I made. It was its own little community."

It is available by logging on to www.whalley.co.uk and more information is available from Carole by e-mailing her on carole_bob@hotmail.com or by phone on 01303 259405.