MORE than 50 years after they first met as new girls at a County Durham grammar school, a group of former school friends are planning a reunion.

Margaret Gent and Pat Harvey want to trace as many women as possible who started at Bishop Auckland Girls Grammar School in 1949.

Mrs Gent, who as Margaret Mallam is pictured fourth from the left in the back row of the photograph above, and Pat Harvey, then Pat Christie, would welcome news of their former classmates.

Mrs Gent, who lives in Newton Aycliffe, said: "We have been talking about getting together for about ten years. It would be wonderful to meet up again."

Contact Mrs Harvey at 5 The Parade, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. DH3 3LR.