Found in England

To lapse into good old Northern English vernacular, I was “gob-smacked” when I received a call from Debbie Ramsey on July 5 saying she had a message for me sent via the Village News Web site in response to a letter I wrote to the Fallbrook Hospital back in February. Here’s what it said:

“If this article is about Susan R. Thorne, please give her my e-mail address and ask her to contact me. I am her brother in London, UK. Kind regards, Rick Fitch.”

What’s so amazing about this message is that I hadn’t heard from my brother Richard, last known to be living near Blackpool and working as a pilot with the now-defunct Belgian airline Sabena, since our mother died 19 years ago. All attempts to reach him through his second wife had failed. Now, e-mails have been flying back and forth and I know the whole story. It was the second wife (now also an “ex”) who had blocked all contact between him, his mother, his first wife and his family — and his “big sister,” Sue.

So, how did he find me? Well, it was actually an even earlier letter that I’d written to the Village News — welcoming J.J. “Purty” Landers Irish pub to Fallbrook — that popped out when he was surfing the Web for Irish pubs! He was pretty sure that sounded like beer-loving sister Sue! My English husband and I have no children, no surviving parents or aunts or uncles and only one sibling each. I often feel very deprived when looking at other people’s growing families. But no longer… I’ve now re-discovered my only sibling, living in Sawbridgeworth just north of London, plus his reconnected first family — wife number one, my two nieces and their seven offspring!

I must confess, an added shiver of excitement ran through me when I learned that his most famous Sawbridgeworth neighbor is David Beckham, recent captain of England’s World Cup football team. I’ve been an avid Manchester United supporter since my college days 50 years ago — he’s my hero! Who knows… “Becks” might be surfing the Web too and find his name in this letter to the Village News!

We’re planning a visit to England and Belgium in September and getting very excited about sharing all our lost years’ stories over several brews! Again, thank you Village News. What a great international “Lost and Found” service you’re providing!