MARGARET Pitt was as good as her word when she answered an appeal for pen pals in a magazine she bought as a schoolgirl.

She told New Zealander Margaret Hogg, who was living in Australia, that she would write again. That was 52 years ago, and the duo have been writing to each other since.

Their letters have spanned courtships, weddings, births and both becoming grandmothers. And there is no sign of the correspondence finishing.

Divorcee Mrs Hogg, who is visiting Mrs Pitt and her husband, James, at their home in Marske, east Cleveland, says she will write her next letter as soon as she returns to Geelong, Melbourne, later this month.

And the 65-year-old, who also visited in 1978, 1985, 1989 and 1995, is close to getting a promise from Mrs Pitt, 64, that she will conquer her fear of flying and visit next year.

Mrs Pitt, who still has the first letter her pen pal wrote, said: "We started out as pen pals at school. We just like writing to each other."

Mrs Hogg said: "It's like Margaret said, we have written as things happened and we just like writing."