TWO long-lost brothers were re-united after 33 years -- thanks to the Journal.

Frank and Derek Cook and their families are now catching up on the missing years they spent on opposite sides of the globe.

They had an emotional reunion when Derek, 70, and his wife Kathleen flew into Manchester from their home in Adelaide, Australia.

In March last year Derek posted a message on the Journal website looking for his family and within a week they had responses from throughout Britain.

With contact made the couple decided to take the trip home with elder daughter, Dorothy, and her husband Barry, to rekindle friendships with the remaining two brothers, Frank and Harold.

They knew Alan had died, and sadly Harold passed away three weeks before the reunion, but Derek and Frank, 72, of Samuel Street, Hindsford, still have seven weeks together before the family returns home.

Truck driver Derek and his wife and three children, Dorothy, Christine and John, left their Elliott Street, Tyldesley, home in 1969 for a better life.

Derek took up a job as a storeman and Kathleen, who had worked at Grundy's Iron Foundry and Johnson and Davies' nut and bolt works, Atherton, was employed by a South Australian wine company.

Over the years contact with their Tyldesley family was lost -- until the Journal came to the rescue.

They have now met up with Frank's son, William, in Howe Bridge and will travel to Jersey to see his daughter, Barbara.

Derek said: "It was wonderful to find my family and see the old place again, but here everything looks so small after all these years. We've got used to the wide open spaces."

Kathleen added: "They had a very emotional reunion and have been joined at the hip ever since."

"Both Frank and Derek and their families want to thank the Journal for printing the original message which brought the brothers together."

And Frank and his son are looking forward to a trip next year to Australia.