In March 1966, a Hedingham schoolgirl wrote her first letter to her pen friend in New Zealand.

Now 63, after keeping in contact ever since, Carol Lewis has finally travelled to the other side of the world to meet her Kiwi pen pal, Annette Nijhuis, for the first time.

Mrs Lewis, who used to live in The Causeway in Toppesfield, was spurred into action after her husband Clive died on Christmas Day, 2013.

She felt it was about time after Clive, well-known for playing football for Great Yeldham, Halstead and Sible Hedingham, managed to visit Mrs Nijhuis in 1989, as did two of her sons with their families, that she got there too.

Mrs Lewis, a former Toppesfield Primary School and Hedingham School pupil, said: “Clive met her when he went out there on business and I have these pictures of my sons with Annette and I have never met her.

“This Christmas, I went to visit my son Ryan in Malaysia and then we flew together to Melbourne in Australia to see my other son Ashley, who lives out there.

“Before I went out there, Ryan said ‘you have got to go’."

See this week's Halstead Gazette for the full story.