PENSIONER Jill Taylor has been longing to return to her roots since she first left Darwen in 1954.

The 72-year-old finally made the nostalgia filled journey from Australia this week after a kind offer from her younger brother who lives in Birmingham.

She headed straight for the town and enjoyed a tour - taking in her former home in Anchor Avenue, Sunnyhurst Woods, the market square and dozens of her other old haunts.

Mrs Taylor described the pilgrimage as a "dream come true" although she admits it is tinged with sadness because she hoped to make it with her Blackburn-born husband, Bob, who died last year.

She added: "My heart has always belonged in Darwen. Even in the pouring rain as I looked at the moors and the tower I knew it would always be my real home and it brought a tear to my eye.

"My brother called me up and told me he was organising everything because he thought it was about time I visited him because it had been more than 50 years since we had last seen each other!" Jill and Bob were tempted to start a new life in Brisbane 44 years ago after reading adverts in the papers.

"It sounded so wonderful but in reality it was pretty rough when we first arrived in Australia. We had to stay in a hostel with our three young children until my husband got work years later," she explained.

"We always longed to return and Bob was fortunate to come back in 1984 to see two of his three brothers. We had wanted to make the journey together but sadly it wasn't to be."

She added: "I haven't been able to spend much time in Darwen on my first - and probably last visit back - but I've found my memories are still true and it still gives me pleasure.

"I'm going to try and have another look around before I fly to Australia at the beginning of next month."

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