A PAIR of childhood friends who were split up by the Second World War have been reunited after 76 years.

Pearl Watkinson, 90, of Aspen Court, Cleethorpes, welcomed her dear friend, Irene Dunford, 89, into her home for the first time on Monday.

Despite their years, within minutes of meeting, they felt like teenagers as the conversation turned to the mean ways of their old boss at Savages' drapers shop in Top Town's old market.

Pearl said: "We were very good friends and went everywhere together, we loved going to the pictures.

"Seeing Reney again after all this time is wonderful."

Pearl was 15 when she met Irene, then 14, who had just started a job at Savages.

The war had not started and the pair would spend hours chatting and plotting their escape from the stall.

Their friendship blossomed and together, when the war broke out, they signed up for the Women's Land Army and were sent to Brigg.

But Pearl, who was originally from London, found life in the countryside hard and after a year, left to join the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS).

But Irene didn't mind so much and stayed with the Land Army, going as far as Wainfleet, Lincolnshire.

She got married at 21 to Frank Dunford, who was in the Royal Air Force, and fell pregnant with their first of two children shortly afterwards.

Meanwhile, Pearl had met her husband, John, in Cranwell and fell pregnant with her first child. Sadly, John was killed in battle in Berlin.

In a world without mobile phones and the internet, the pair often thought of one another but had no way of getting in touch.

The years rolled by until Pearl spotted the announcement of the death of Irene's brother, Ted Makey, in the Grimsby Telegraph.

She contacted Near and Near Funeral Directors who passed on her number to Irene's nephew, who passed it onto Irene's son, Nigel, who finally gave it to Pearl.

Pearl continued: "She didn't quite remember me because it has been 76 years and our memories aren't what they used to be. But I had always remembered Reney after all these years. When she knew who I was it was great.

"We have spent the day catching up and sharing photographs, but we don't have any of each other because neither of us could afford a camera in those days.

"Although we didn't have much, we were very happy in our own way. It was a happy time even though there was a war on,"

Irene added: "The last I can remember is seeing her at my wedding day. But we are proof friendship can last and I know we will see each other again."

ON THE WEB: How long have you been best friends?

Visit www.thisisigrimsby.co.uk and tell us about your friendships or e-mail newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph. co.uk

A WITNESS in a sex abuse case told the court she "didn't want to live anymore" after being raped at the age of 14.

The first witness in the case against Stuart Wilson, 52, of Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby, spoke at Grimsby Crown Court yesterday.

He is accused of one count of rape, one count of attempted rape, 16 counts of indecent assault and one of supplying heroin, all of which happened between September 1987 and September 2003. The trial began on Monday and he denies the charges.

Jurors saw a testimony on DVD, in which she claimed he raped her when she was a teenager.

She said she began harming herself afterwards, and a few days following the incident, she purposely cut her arm with the edge of a broken mug she had dropped.

"I just didn't want to live anymore – I was tired of everything and didn't think it was going to stop," she claimed.

Jurors were told that later on, the witness suffered what she believed to be a miscarriage while lying on the floor alone in a bathroom.

She claimed she was too embarrassed and afraid to talk to anyone, so buried the remains in a garden.

Her family noticed "a change in behaviour", she said, and she started suffering from night terrors.

The court also heard how the witness became addicted to heroin in her teenage years, because it "shut everything out".

In the midst of her addiction, she came back into contact with Mr Wilson and claims he offered her money for sex, which she initially refused.

She claimed Mr Wilson offered more and more money, and she eventually agreed to sex for £130 – but told him she "couldn't do it" without drugs.

She told the court that he obtained heroin for her and they had sex, and that this happened numerous times for varying amounts of money but she was always "out of it".

The witness said she eventually became a sex worker because she "couldn't keep doing it".

Jonathan Sharp, acting for the complainant, asked her a number of questions.

He told her that he wanted to clarify the age she was when this was happening and her sexual experience at various ages.

The witness told him that she was aged 13 or 14 when she was raped and that the abuse stopped afterwards.

However, leading up to that point, she said Wilson touched her most days and was forced to touch him on a weekly basis.

Mr Sharp asked if she had any sexual contact with another man before she miscarried, and she told the court that she had not.

Craig Lowe, acting for the defence, then cross-examined the witness.

He highlighted that she has a string of shoplifting offences, which she had previously alluded to when talking about her heroin addiction.

Mr Lowe also highlighted a number of suicide attempts in her past and a section in the year 2000 – which she had also mentioned previously – saying she had a "history of psychotic illness".

He also mentioned that the witness had made an allegation of sexual abuse against another man in the past, which never went to court – yet she had not reported Mr Wilson.

Mr Lowe said: "If you're already reporting one man, it would be the easiest thing in the world to say that another is doing something wrong.

"It just doesn't make much sense – your explanation doesn't hold much water."

The witness said: "I was worried that I wouldn't be believed if I said that two people had done it."

Mr Lowe also pointed out that some of the dates the witness mentioned were inconsistent with information he had obtained.

He said: "You claim you were nine years old when the abuse started when actually you were knocking on for 11."

The witness conceded she may have been wrong about her exact age but insisted that the abuse did happen.

Mr Wilson is the father of Claire Wilson, who was murdered in 2009 while she was six months pregnant, as she walked to Pizza Hut, in Grimsby.

The case continues.

ON THE WEB: Read all coverage from the court case at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk

AN AWARD-WINNING businesswoman has been accused of supplying unqualified teachers to schools across North East Lincolnshire with the intent of conning them out of almost £700,000.

The allegations against Nicola Blake, previously known as Keller, are said to have come to light following a police investigation into a man, Darri Poucher.

It is claimed she placed Poucher, 29, as a supply teacher at a school, which cannot be named.

Poucher, 29, of Church Lane, Lincoln, denies charges of meeting or communicating with a teenage girl on at least two occasions, with the intent of committing a sexual offence and one count of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

He also denies two counts of fraudulently claiming to be a qualified teacher.

Blake, now of Bedfordshire, denies ten counts of fraud and five counts of dishonestly obtaining cash from a number of local schools between 2004 and 2011.

It is claimed Blake committed fraud by making false representations the staff she was supplying were qualified teachers.

By doing so, it is claimed she intended to cause losses to the following schools:

Hereford School (now Ormiston Academy) – £349,925.38.

Wintringham School (now Oasis Academy Wintringham) – £72,526.36.

Nunsthorpe Primary School (now Nunsthorpe Academy) – £66,311.50.

Immingham School (now Oasis Academy Immingham) – £28,696.52.

Humberston School (now Humberston Academy) – £25,402.84.

Tollbar School (now Tollbar Academy) – £326.28.

Havelock School (now Havelock Academy) – £22,928

Cambridge Park School – £37,014.

Whitgift School (now John Whitgift Academy) – £1,341.10.

Spalding Grammar School – £17,689.22.

It is also claimed she dishonestly obtained cash from the following schools, again by making false representations the staff she was supplying were qualified teachers:

Immingham School (now Oasis Academy Immingham) – £37,493.32.

Humberston School (now Humberston Academy) – £6,933.12.

Healing School – £177.28.

Cambridge Park School – £2,500.74.

Whitgift School (now John Whitgift Academy) – £177.28.

Mrs Blake set up her Wrawby-based company, Education Resourcing Ltd, in 2003 – going on to supply temporary teaching staff to more than 1,000 schools in Lincolnshire and Peterborough.

In 2011, she was crowned Young Business Person Of The Year in the Lincolnshire Business Awards.

At that point, the firm was turning over £1.5 million a year, providing work for more than 200 people – making it one of Lincolnshire's larger employers.

She was also one of the trio behind plans to transform Grimsby's former St Mary's Roman Catholic High School into the Lighthouse Community School, a free school catering for those who struggle with mainstream education.

Mrs Blake had also launched the Keller Foundation – a scholarship programme helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds become graduates without having to pay tuition fees or run up student loan bills.

The case is due to be committed to Grimsby Crown Court for trial on June 24.

ON THE WEB: Log on to www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk to read more about Blake's previous business ventures and her involvement in the free school plan.

CLEETHORPES Town will host Grimsby Town in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday, July 9, but who will be in the opposite dugout to Rob Scott and Paul Hurst?

Having parted company with manager Andy Liddle earlier this month, the Owls are yet to confirm who will be his replacement at Bradley Community Stadium.

The outgoing boss guided Clee to a fourth-place finish in Northern Counties East League (NCEL) Division One in their first season at that level.

Town had threatened to challenge for promotion for much of the campaign, but fell away towards the NCEL finale.

Now preparing to mount another Division One charge, the Owls will begin 2013/2014 with a high profile warm-up fixture against the Mariners.

It comes just a year after Town lost 4-2 to then League One side Doncaster Rovers, while Scott and Hurst's men beat Grimsby Borough 12-3.

Upon confirming the news, Clee chairman David Patterson, pictured below, said: "It will be great for the town and it shows just where we are as a club.

"We have been promised that they will be bringing the first team over so it will be a fantastic occasion for everybody involved.

"We were fortunate enough to play against Doncaster Rovers last season and that was a great day for the club as well.

"Dean Saunders brought his side over here and they were impressed with the facilities that we have. We gave them a good show and were by no means overawed by them.

"It was a good display for us and the players all did the club proud. And now we have the chance to play Grimsby in a local derby.

"Cleethorpes Town is an attractive proposition for any manager. Hopefully we can progress on to better things with a new man in charge."

And while the Owls' new manager could lead his team out for the first time against professional opposition, his main task will be to continue the club's own progression.

Aside from their blossoming first team, Cleethorpes have a thriving junior set-up – with upwards of 30 teams based at Linden Homes.

Vice-chairman Dave Mann added: "It has been fantastic. The area has got behind us and from a football side, things are looking good."

Kicking off at 7.15pm, tickets for the match are available at the Linden Homes Club.

Costing £5 for adults, and £2.50 for concessions, half of the proceeds raised will go towards Grimsby Town's Youth system.

KIRMINGTON motorcycle racing star Guy Martin continues his preparations for the Isle of Man TT this week at the prestigious North West 200.

The first international road race of 2013 roars to life on Saturday as the sport's heavyweights line up on the grid for the NW200 Superbike contest.

William and Michael Dunlop, John McGuinness, Michael Rutter, Alastair Seeley and Stuart Easton are just a few of those revved up and raring to go.

But after storming to victory on his Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600 in the Supersport event at the Cookstown 100 last month – and adding two second places in the Superbike and Open races – Martin will be a serious contender once again.

The racer, 31, began his season with a hat-trick of race wins at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough.

And with the pinnacle of road racing, the TT, now less than two weeks away, Martin remains in the hunt to win his first ever race on the island, adding to his 13 podium finishes.

The second North West practice session takes place tomorrow, with the opening Supersport, Supertwin and Superstock races in the evening.

Those are followed by further battles in each category on Saturday, as well as the two Superbike fight-outs, including the main event last up.

Martin is joined by team-mate and British Superbike Championship contender Josh Brookes, formerly of Louth-based HM Plant Honda.

FORMER Grimsby Town boss George Kerr is anticipating the "long-overdue" reunion of his championship-winning side this week.

Kerr, 70, will return to Blundell Park on Friday evening for the special event, which has been organised by the Mariners Trust.

It will bring together staff and players from the famed side that won the 1979/80 Third Division title by three points from second-placed Blackburn Rovers.

Joe Waters, who captained the team, will jet in from America to attend the event, which has been staged to raise money for the club's Youth set-up.

As well as his old skipper, Kerr right, will be joined by players such as Kevin Drinkell, Tony Ford, Terry Donovan and his former boss John Newman, who Kerr succeeded having previously worked as his assistant.

And speaking to the Telegraph, Kerr says he's looking forward to getting that 'fantastic' squad back together – at long last.

"It's 30-odd years since we won that championship," he said. "If the second reunion takes as long to come around, I'll be 103!

"You're talking about a fantastic, fantastic side and one of the best in Grimsby Town's history.

"Lawrie McMenemy's team is obviously up there as well as mine and John Newman's.

"John is coming down on the night as well as Joe Waters, who is coming all the way over from America, which is fantastic and it will be great to see them all.

"I insisted on John coming to the evening because he not only built that side up but also brought me to the club.

"We got an automatic promotion from the Fourth Division in the first season I was there but that was down to John.

"When he left at the end of the season to go to Derby County, I was left on my own to look after things during the close-season but eventually, I was made manager," he recalled.

"So we set off in the Third Division and got through to November.

"I still believe to this day that if we hadn't beaten Gillingham in that month, I would have been down the road with the heave-ho.

"But we won the game 1-0 and then I don't think we lost for something like 17 or 18 games.

"We also had a good run in the FA Cup and went to Liverpool when they were winning the European Cup so many times.

"We took 25,000 people there and it was a great occasion but we got turned over like you wouldn't believe.

"Back then, people didn't mess about with squad rotation, it was their first team with great players like Kenny Dalglish and Graham Souness.

"We lost 5-0 and they were different class.

"But Bill Shankly came up to me afterwards and said 'forget that, you were playing the best team in Europe – I am telling you, you are going to win the Third Division championship' – and we did.

"Looking back now, you think, how did he know that?!"

As well as raising money for the Youth system at Town, the event will also remember the life of Kevin Moore, who played under Kerr with distinction.

As reported, Moore died last month after a long battle with Pick's Disease – a rare form of dementia.

Kerr added: "Obviously we lost Kevin last month and that's really sad because that's been going on for a number of years and his was a terrible illness.

"It will be nice to remember him on the night – he deserves that.

He added: "It's all raising money for the Youth set-up and I think it's a really good thing – especially because many of the players in that team were young fellas that had come through the system.

"We built players that went on to the 'big time', like Kevin, who went on to play for Southampton and Kevin Drinkell who could have gone on to play anywhere.

"I'm really looking forward to it. It should be an enjoyable evening."

Tickets are priced £20 for members and £25 for non- members. For more information, visit www.marinerstrust.co.uk

SCOTT Neilson's Blundell Park return can bring out the best in Grimsby Town's squad.

That's the view of joint boss Rob Scott after the tricky winger rubber-stamped his Mariners return this week.

The wideman, who turns 26 today, made a big impression during his three months on loan in Cleethorpes last season.

And after helping Town to top spot before moving on, his co-manager believes he can again bring out the best in the likes of left-back Aswad Thomas and striker Ross Hannah.

"Sometimes you don't always appreciate what you've got until it's not there," Scott told the Telegraph.

"We knew Scotty would be a big loss to us and, although we coped fairly well without him, he was a loss – there's no getting away from that.

"He can pick the ball up fairly deep and create things for you.

"He enhanced Aswad's (Thomas) game as well. He liked to come inside off the wing playing in a 4-4-2 and allow Aswad to overlap.

"It certainly helped As out and invited him up the pitch, which is one of his main fortes.

"So Scott brings more than just what he can do – he adds to other players as well.

"We saw that in his very first game with us, against Luton, when he put Ross Hannah away for his first goal."

Despite just eight Hatters appearances for Neilson in the second half of the season and a hernia operation to boot, Scott had no qualms about bringing the skillful wideman back.

"We're pleased to have him back on board and we've been working on that one for a while," the joint boss remarked.

"Even after he went to Luton we kept in contact and monitored how he was going.

"Things didn't work out how he had hoped there but that gave us the chance to go back in for him."

Scott added: "He's got an air of confidence about him and got on really well with all the lads.

"Obviously Scott has got a bit of history but we know how we need to manage him.

"That's sometimes what you get with players of Scott's quality, who have that bit of flair.

"He's got an edge to him off the field but hopefully has calmed down a bit now and realised that he needs to knuckle down.

"It's a big year for him. He's dipped his toes here and people will be expecting big things of him."

DOG dirt, illegal parking and fly-tippers are blighting the beauty of Humberston Fitties.

The problems were highlighted by members of The Fitties Neighbourhood Watch Group who met with deputy police crime commissioner Paul Robinson as he toured the Humberston and New Waltham ward with police officers.

He also met businessmen in Wilton Road Industrial Estate to celebrate a marked reduction in crime.

Mr Robinson praised the residents of the Fitties for carrying out patrols to curb nuisance youths, irresponsible dog walkers and boy racers.

In April, patrolling Watch wardens carried out nearly 600 hours of volunteer patrols helping residents, giving directions, educating dog owners and deterring boy racers from using The Fitties as a racetrack.

At a meeting with Watch members at Humber Mouth Yacht Club, Mr Robinson admired the high visibility jackets worn by the patrollers.

Mr Robinson told the Watch members: "You are what epitomises community policing itself and working alongside the police. It is something I am immensely proud of you achieving."

He offered to help the Watch members fund the radio network used by members to keep in touch. Watch co-ordinator George Nixon highlighted problems of dog walkers not clearing up their pets' mess.

He said some walkers bag their dog mess, but hang it in trees.

He said: "We get a lot of visitors in the summer who just let their dogs do what they want and then clear off."

Other members highlighted the problem of horse riders letting their horses mess on the beach. They also complained of a number of people leaving rubbish and breaking bottles on the beach. Mr Nixon said residents were frustrated by the number of kite surfers who park on the grass verges outside their homes before heading on to the beach.

Sea Lane mini-market shop owner Tony Firth called for increased police patrols during summer months to deter shoplifters and people parking illegally in North Sea Lane.

He told the deputy: "We have big problems in July and August. We can't survive without the holidaymakers, but sometimes we would rather not have them. They visit the fish and chip shop next door, but just lob the rubbish out the car, even though there are half a dozen bins.

"The rest of the time we all live happily. But my problem is the lack of police."

At Cleethorpes Business Centre, Mr Robinson met with area manager of J McCann Ltd Paul Batson, who told him how increased vigilance and improved security in Wilton Road industrial estate had curbed thefts and break-ins from about 20 a year to just one or two crimes a year.

Mr Batson said: "We have had good work from PCSO Steve Sutton who patrols regularly and talks to businesses. It has had success and has made everyone more vigilant."

ON THE WEB: Tell us about policing in your area at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk or e-mail viewpoint@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

GRIMSBY'S proposed new £8.4-million swimming pool is due to go before the planning committee in August.

North East Lincolnshire Council announced yesterday that a formal planning application had been submitted for the scheme, as reported on www.thisis grimsby.co.uk

The new facility will be built next to Grimsby Leisure Centre in Cromwell Road and will replace Scartho Baths, which will close when the new pool is up and running, which is expected to be November 2015.

Following a public consultation in March, which was reported in the Grimsby Telegraph, a number of changes have been made to the plans for the new pool.

They include:

A re-organisation of the ground floor swimming changing facilities, with private showers, separate toilet facilities, and sauna.

Improved swimming spectator viewing for people in wheelchairs.

Increased swimming spectator viewing capacity with a standing spectator area.

The removal of a staircase, resulting in improved first floor dry changing facilities.

A larger exercise studio space, providing the flexibility to deliver either one large class or two separate classes at the same time.

A raising of the floor level to above the Environment Agency's original recommendations, in response to public concerns about flooding.

Councillor Mick Burnett, the council's portfolio holder for culture and tourism, said: "We've been encouraged by the level of practical feedback during the consultation and we'd like to thank everyone who has contributed. As a result, there's been a number of real improvements made to the initial design, which will make the centre a first class facility for everyone who uses it."

MP MARTIN Vickers has joined a growing Tory rebellion which wants to force a House Of Commons vote on a European referendum.

He is among more than 50 mostly Conservative MPs who "respectfully regret" that legislation paving the way for a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU was not in last week's Queen's Speech.

Although the Prime Minister has pledged to hold a ballot by the end of 2017 after renegotiating the UK's relations with the EU, the rebels want a legislative commitment sooner rather than later.

Cleethorpes MP Mr Vickers said although he believed David Cameron's stance was "perfectly sensible", the Government had to recognise the "debate had moved on".

He added: "I'm a long-standing Eurosceptic and I will vote 'no' when we have the referendum.

"Personally, I'd have it now – a simple piece of legislation to say there will be a referendum could be passed fairly quickly.

"I would either have it to coincide with next year's European Parliament elections or on the same day as the Scottish independence referendum in September 2014.

"I've yet to be convinced it can't be held before the next general election in 2015."

And although Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell is absent from Parliament because of illness, he said he "would vote for the Tory amendment" were he able to.

Mr Mitchell, who has joined the Labour For A Referendum group, said: "I'm in favour of leaving, and the group exists to demonstrate there are others in the Labour Party also in favour of leaving.

"Europe's in a mess and it's not going to get out of it.

"I don't see there's anything to be gained now by staying in – there are lots of disadvantages, such as overpriced food courtesy of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, and so on."

• Interactive map: UFO sightings and alien encounters in Grimsby and northern Lincolnshire

The number of people out of work in the UK rose to 2.52 million figures for the first three months of the year revealed.
To read about the Government's reaction to rising unemployment in North East Lincolnshire keep checking out www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk 

Grimsby teenager Wesley Robinson is still missing and has not been seen since Sunday morning.
Humberside police renewed their plea for any sightings of the 14-year-old who was last seen near Ramsden's in Grimsby at 11am on Sunday.
He is 5ft 7ins tall with a pale complexion and short-light coloured hair. He was last seen to be wearing a grey and black coloured hoody, dark navy jogging bottoms, pink coloured socks and Nike or Adidas trainers.

Wesley and anyone who may know where is can call police on 101 quoting incident number 334 of May 12.

MYSTERY still surrounds the appearance of flashing lights in the night sky.

Not even our local star gazers can shed light on the mystery – the latest in a long line of spooky sightings in the Lincolnshire skies.

The nighttime phenomena came to light when the Grimsby Telegraph was contacted by Philip Greenfield, of Waltham, on Friday.

He reported seeing flashes light up the sky on Thursday between midnight and 1am.

He said: "There were three large flashes – far too big to have been planes – which seemed to be coming from the south east."

A Tetney resident said she had seen the flashing lights, too – and has seen them every night since.

The villager, who does not wish to be named, said she watched the lights from 11.45pm to 2.15am on Thursday.

"At first we thought they were laser beams, but you can't see any beam from the ground.

"They looked as if they were above the clouds and appeared between Tetney and Humberston.

"The light moves around and then disappears and then comes back about half an hour later.

"It is fascinating. It darts around quite quickly. We have no street lights on our lane so we get a good look at the sky. I do not know what it is but I am keen to find out."

A neighbour has also seen the lights.

• Top 10 UFO sightings in Lincolnshire

Chairman of Cleethorpes And District Astronomy Society Bill Scutcher said he was baffled by the lights, which he has not seen himself.

"No one has mentioned it to me," he said.

"If they are absolutely sure it is nothing coming from the ground then it is a mystery.

"There could be an issue with a nightclub in Cleethorpes using a searchlight, but I have not seen anything."

He said he and fellow astronomers are alerted as soon as The Northern Lights – known as aurora borealis – shift south from the Arctic circle.

He said: "None of us have been alerted, so it is strange."

A number of visitors to the Grimsby Telegraph's website posted comments on Friday's story.

Suze58 said she was sitting in her garden on Sunday.

She said: "At first I thought I was seeing things or maybe it was someone with a large torch. But they were travelling too far and too fast.

"They were flying over my head and then zoomed off over the park and then over my house and back again, it was great to watch. I told my mum and she says she had seen them before, but daren't say anything. All very strange."

Smithythedog said she was awoken at 3.44am on Friday by the lights.

"I thought I was going mad. My husband asked what I was doing when I got out of bed to check."

Did you spot the lights or – even better – get video or pictures?

Can you explain what caused them?

If so, e-mail our news team at newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk, comment on this story, or call 01472 372213.