Celebrating fifty years as pals after an advert in Recorder

Celebrating fifty years as pals after an advert in Recorder

22 February 2012 - by JOANNE FLEMING

TWO pen pals are celebrating 50 years of corresponding from opposite ends of the world.

Heather McBriar, from Saintfield, and Rosemary Leish from Melbourne, have been writing to each since 1962 after Heather responded to an advertisement in the Down Recorder.

With Rosemary currently in Northern Ireland, the pair ped into the Down Recorder office this week to reminisce over where it all began.

“I think I wrote initially to the Lord Mayor of Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, and it was only later I realised they did not have a mayor,” said Rosemary.

“Somehow a small ad ended up in the Down Recorder looking for a pen pal for an 11 year-old interested in horses.

“I got quite a lot of responses, about 25, “ I looked at about three and gave the other names to friends. I wonder do any of the others remember.”

Rosemary explained that she chose Northern Ireland as her country of choice as her grandmother, Maggie Christie, was originally from here, and her grandfather from Scotland, before they emigrated to Australia in 1901. Remembering why Heather’s letter resonated so strongly with her, she said: “She had a horse — that was the important thing. I wanted to be into horses and I lived in a suburban house.

“I think as a kid I was also always very aware that there was the heritage from Scotland and Ireland and communication between the families had been strong.”

Exchanging horse and koala bear photos, the two grew close over their teenage years, and minus a brief lull when they were raising small children, letters were frequently penned. And at a time when international travel wasn’t as common as it is now, it led to their first face to face meeting in 1978.

“I came over here with my husband John,” said Rosemary. “It cost $13,000 — six-and-a-half times our air fare today. It really was quite expensive.”

And despite Northern Ireland’s violent reputation around the world at that time, it was not enough to deter Rosemary from meeting her childhood friend.

“I had always wanted to come over,” she said. “I knew there were the Troubles but it was not really an issue. It was a bit of an eye opener, though.

“It was a little bit spooky. I still remember going into the city through the gates in those days and all the security. Nothing happened but you were very aware of soldiers’ presence.”

Recalling their first meeting, Heather said: “ It really was as if we knew each other. We had shared so much.

“We wrote very regularly. As soon as Rosemary wrote, I sent one back almost immediately. We shared a lot of details over many years.”

With Rosemary’s daughter Peta later moving to London, and Rosemary subsequently becoming a grandmother, the pair have since met each other very regularly.

“Definitely I have noticed the changes here,” said Rosemary. “My children have come to Northern Ireland to visit and they now know it as a tourist destination.”

And despite more face to face contact, the pair are still keeping up their letter writing between visits. Advances in modern communications have also had little impact.

“I am more of an email person now but if I send an email to Heather I know there’s a chance she won’t read the mail,” said Rosemary.

“Of course you have Twitter and Facebook now too,” acknowledged Heather. “Letter writing is very much out of date.”

“And a letter or a postcard is always nice,” added Rosemary, who recommends trying out the pen pal experience to anyone.

“I’m not sure how common the pen pal scheme is now, though,” she said. “Bring back pen pals, that’s what I say.”

Heather added: “Of course we did have a bit of a rapport, common interests and common ground, and a couple of our children have met each other, but I would encourage anyone to have a go.

“This has definitely enhanced our lives.”