CHILDHOOD friends from Minehead, now both in their eighties, were recently reunited after nearly sixty years.

Margaret Moore and Florence Hughes (known as Floss) were great friends from the age of five until they both married and moved away from the area.

Mrs Hughes headed up to Yorkshire and Mrs Moore moved to a different part of Somerset, so over the years they lost touch.

However they were both drawn back to the area much later in life and both ended up as residents of Magna Housing.

Mrs Moore, who now lives at Porlock, said: “I saw Floss in Magna’s magazine and wondered if she’d be at the annual tenants’ conference.

“I booked to go and spent the whole time looking out for her. When I spotted her on the other side of the room I charged over and gave her a big hug.

"She knew it was me straight away, even though she hadn’t seen me for years.”

Having both left school at 14, Mrs Hughes went on to train as a tailoress with Mr Summers in Park Street and then joined the RAF as a telephonist, while Mrs Moore trained as a hairdresser.

They have very fond memories of growing up together and recall walking to and from school each day with bus rides on the wicker-seated “toast rack” when money allowed.

Mrs Hughes, who now lives in Williton, remembers her parents’ first television set: “We walked into the room and Mum and Dad were wearing sunglasses. They said the television was just too bright for them!”

Barbara Mullan, community services manager for Magna Housing, said: “We hold a conference once a year so we can be sure we are involving our residents in the work we are doing and providing the service they want.

“But to have two old friends reunited like this was just the icing on the cake!

“We’re thrilled that Mrs Moore and Mrs Hughes are back in touch with each other and hope that they get to see each other often.”