Nearly 30 years after losing touch with the people who adopted her as a baby, 88-year-old Phyllis Kittridge has been reunited with surviving members of her former family - thanks to Bygones, a local paper supplement.

IT was an occasion for laughter, tears and much catching up when 88-year-old Phyllis Kittridge and 80-year-old Joan Davies met up again after 30 long years this week - thanks to Bygones. It was an article in our June 6 edition about William Ward, an Alvaston park keeper at the turn of the last century, that set the ball rolling.

"I was adopted by Mr Ward as a baby," said Phyllis, of Ringwood Close, Spondon, "so when I saw the article, it was quite a surprise.
"He had a son and a daughter, Arthur and Alice. They were quite a bit older than me. Arthur didn't get on with his dad, so he left home. After he got married, I went to live with him and his wife, Annie. I was about 19 or 20 then and worked at British Celanese."

Alice also married and had three daughters, Joan, Rhona and Sheila. For many years they all stayed in touch.
"I used to look after Joan a lot. She was seven years younger than me. I would take her to Reginald Street baths every Friday for her weekly scrub."

But after Phyllis married Arthur Kittridge and had three children of her own, they drifted apart. Joan worked at Woolworth's in Victoria Street and then in the wages department at British Celanese until she retired in 1981.

She married Welshman Gwynne Davies and it was their son, John Davies, who wrote to Bygones about his great-grandfather William Ward. The article prompted Phyllis to write to John, of Treveris Close, Spondon.

When he opened the letter, it started: "Mr William Ward adopted me as a baby."
Said John: "We nearly fell through the floor. We had no idea. Mum had never mentioned it to us."

But after John phoned Phyllis, everything fell into place and he arranged to take her to meet his mother, Joan, now aged 80 and living at St Werburgh's Nursing Home, Spondon.
"They hadn't seen each other for nearly 28 years," said John, "and then it was only a fleeting meeting in St Peter's Street. They hugged each other and said they would keep in touch but never did."

But last week the pair were reunited - and never stopped talking the whole time they were together.
Said Phyllis, who has six grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren: "It was a nice surprise. Joan and I used to go shopping in town together but it must be a good few years ago. We had a lot of catching up to do."

Phyllis was taken in by the Ward family after her mother died and her father remarried.
"My stepmother didn't want me. She took my brother, Fred, but they farmed me out and then took off for Canada," said Phyllis. "After living with Arthur, I went to stay with my grandmother Rice for a while, until I got married."
She added: "When John came to see me, I knew who it was straight away. He's the spitting image of his mother."

John's wife, Sue, said: "It was a complete surprise to us. It's such a shame we didn't know about her before. She lives so near. She gave us such a hug when we went to see her and it was lovely to see her and Joan together.

"Phyllis is remarkable. She's 88 and she still looks after herself and is incredibly active. She said she's going to take a taxi and go and see mum again.
"They've both vowed they are definitely going to keep in touch this time."