FRIENDS and former Trowbridge classmates enjoyed a meal they will never forget after meeting up for the first time in more than 60 years.

Benny Morgan, 74, Dave Morgan, 78, Kay Brown, 70, Melvin Difford, 74, Terry Thompson, 79, and Kenny Collier, 77, all grew up in the county town’s streets of British Row and Charlotte Street.

However, apart from brothers Benny and Dave, they had not seen one another since their teenage years.

Keen to find out where his old pals had ended up, Dave used the powers of Facebook to track down some of his friends on top of a few chance meetings.

And the six of them all met up for an unforgettable reunion at the White Horse Country Park in Westbury on March 28 for a walk down memory lane.

“It was pretty remarkable to see some of my old friends again after such a long time,” said Dave.

“This would not have been possible in the past, but social media now makes glorious things like this happen.

“I found Kay on Facebook and then it just built up from there. We do look a bit different these days, I didn’t recognise them really.”

They talked about everything from the old days such as, families, parents, local shops, school teachers, corporal punishment to flying blackboard rubbers that some of them endured at school, war time memories of the spitfire factories and much more. Many old photos and other stories were exchanged at the meet-up, which they hope will be the first of many to come.

“We got on so well so we would love to see each other again, nothing is planned but we are looking to do it all again,” said Dave.

“I live in Swindon, Benny lives in Holt, Kenny lives in Trowbridge, Melvin lives in Bulkington and I believe Kay and Terry live in Westbury, so we are not far.”

They finished the day with a toast to old friends, absent friends and to those who were no longer with them. When they were just about to go home, Dave had one more surprise up his sleeve.

“I met Terry a week or so before and I like to do portraits in my spare time so I handed over a portrait that I had done of him, it went down well,” he said.