Brother and sister are re-united after 44 years

There was a very special birthday party at East-the-Water on Saturday when a brother and sister were together in their native Bideford for the first time for 44 years.

The brother, whose 74th birthday it was, is Mr Frank Bennett McGowan, of Freshwater, Sydney, Australia, and the sister Mrs Mary Comer, 54 Sentry Corner, who is 68.

Their reunion was made possible because some years ago Mr Frank Bennett, as he is usually called, wrote to the Bideford Gazette inquiring about his sister with whom he had lost touch after many years in various places in Australia. Headed ‘Calling Mary Bennett’, the letter instantly evoked a response.

“We felt we had to come and say ‘thank you’ and let you know of the visit” they told the Gazette representative on Saturday. Admitting that he was ‘always getting into trouble’ as a boy locally, Mr Bennett said he and his brother Ernie were usually known as Big Tim and Little Tim.

The full Gazette article is dated 8 July 1960