IT'S amazing what lengths some folk will go to in seeking out long-lost pals.

Take the case of Gordon Hand, who has been living in Australia for the past 28 years, but who was determined to trace Jim Harris, his best friend from their St Helens schooldays at Cowley between 1944 and 1949.

"We kept in touch on leaving school and he was my best man in 1945 when he was then at Durham University taking an electrical engineering degree," explains Gordon who is now settled in New South Wales.

On graduating, Jim went working in Bristol and that's when the friendship trail went cold.

But while on holiday in the UK, Gordon decided to do a bit of detective work. He traced Jim's parents to Bristol and was welcomed there with open arms.

Gordon learned that Jim was still employed in Bristol and the pair had a get-together to remember.

"Since then, he's been over to Australia twice and I've been back to England a couple of times - staying at each other's homes."

The pair often reminisce about Cowley days and wonder what happened to their other old classroom colleagues.

There were 30 of them, and Gordon and Jim remember, among others, pupils named Bates, Boardman, A. Brown, J. Brown, Campbell, Carter, Danson, Dyer, Fitton, Forber, Friar, G. W. Hand, Harris, Ince, Jackson, Lamb, Lee, Millington, Molyneux, Morris, Paterson, Pope, Rowlands, Rimmer and Wilson.

IF these , or any of the others would like to get in touch, Gordon would be delighted. His address is: 1B Dover Place, Engadine NSW 2233, Australia.

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