Relatives reunited with family photographs

Last week the Wigan Observer printed photographs belonging to Wiganer Horace Bentham.

They had been found at his home in Bridlington after he died in the 1970s.

Joan O’Connor contacted us to say she had kept them for years and wanted to pass them on to his family.

And after seeing familiar faces in the paper, his relatives got in touch.

The photographs have now been given to Mr Bentham’s sister-in-law Joan Bentham and her daughter Marion Bentham.

Mrs O’Connor still has many more photographs belonging to Mr Bentham and his family plan to contact her to retrieve the rest of them.

Marion, who lives in Pemberton, said: “My mum was over the moon with them.

“It did bring back a lot of memories. She had a couple of photographs of the lady getting married and my mum had quite a few more photographs. She was really pleased.”

The photographs show special family moments - including a wedding and the early years of childhood - involving the Bentham family.

Joan’s husband Leslie was Mr Bentham’s brother, but sadly he died in May last year, aged 83.

But they still brought plenty of memories flooding back for Joan.

She remembered Horace and went to visit him in Bridlington many times.

She also went to his grave and left a pot with his name on after he died.

Joan, 80, who lives in Ashton, said: “It was very good to see the pictures. I knew everyone in the photographs.”

Mr Bentham - nicknamed Benny - lived with Mrs O’Connor’s aunt Philomena Chippingdale after meeting her son in the army.

He originally came from Newton and stayed in Bridlington for many years until he died.

With the photographs are national service records belonging to Mr Bentham, who was born in October 1928 and had addresses in North Ashton and Haydock.