BRIAN Oldfield wants to recapture the freewheeling spirit of the 60s by getting all his old pals together for one last party.

The Coventry-born entrepreneur is desperate to get back in touch with anyone who attended Keresley Newland High School from 1958 to 1963 after discovering that 20 mates had all recently died of cancer.

The 62-year-old, who grew up in Nunts Park Avenue, also wants to hear from anyone who knocked about in the Rookery Lane, Nunts Lane, Meadow Road, and Gospel Oak Road areas of the city - including former pupils of Ash Green and Nicholas Chamberlain Schools.

Keen to attract about 200 people to the reunion, he's already signed up half that number after a frantic ring around.

To help him reach as many people as possible he enlisted the support of mates Billy Lamb, Jane Lloyd, and Viv Henderson - who tragically died at the start of last month.

The nostalgic shindig will take place at the Hare and Hounds, in Watery Lane, Keresley - a pub that's run by the son of Brian's former school mate, Stephen Huckvale.

The event, which will include a buffet and disco, will take place on Friday, September 4, from 7pm.

Brian, who is married with three children, moved to Nottingham 25 years ago but returns regularly to the city to see family.

As well as fond memories of school, he also wistfully recalls playing in a number of local bands in the 60s and 70s - supporting such stellar acts as the Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Tony Christie, and Shirley Bassey.

He went on to run Coventry Reclamation Services that operated where the Ricoh Arena is now.

Brian said: "I'll never forget the buzz I had living in Coventry from the age of 14 to 27.

"When I first moved I saw my friends quite frequently, but as time passed I saw them less and less.

"I myself have recently undergone a life-saving operation and am more aware than ever of the need to stay in touch.

"Already we've called about 100 people, and everyone is keen to catch up.

"But there are still many more out there who we've not been able to find, and we'd love to hear from them."

Entry to the event costs £5, with proceeds going to the Macmillan Cancer Care Nurses.

For details, call Brian on 07973 555 777.

BRIAN Oldfield wants to recapture the freewheeling spirit of the 60s by getting all his old pals together for one last party.

The Coventry-born entrepreneur is desperate to get back in touch with anyone who attended Keresley Newland High School from 1958 to 1963 after discovering that 20 mates had all recently died of cancer.

The 62-year-old, who grew up in Nunts Park Avenue, also wants to hear from anyone who knocked about in the Rookery Lane, Nunts Lane, Meadow Road, and Gospel Oak Road areas of the city - including former pupils of Ash Green and Nicholas Chamberlain Schools.

Keen to attract about 200 people to the reunion, he's already signed up half that number after a frantic ring around.

To help him reach as many people as possible he enlisted the support of mates Billy Lamb, Jane Lloyd, and Viv Henderson - who tragically died at the start of last month.

The nostalgic shindig will take place at the Hare and Hounds, in Watery Lane, Keresley - a pub that's run by the son of Brian's former school mate, Stephen Huckvale.

The event, which will include a buffet and disco, will take place on Friday, September 4, from 7pm.

Brian, who is married with three children, moved to Nottingham 25 years ago but returns regularly to the city to see family.

As well as fond memories of school, he also wistfully recalls playing in a number of local bands in the 60s and 70s - supporting such stellar acts as the Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, Tony Christie, and Shirley Bassey.

He went on to run Coventry Reclamation Services that operated where the Ricoh Arena is now.

Brian said: "I'll never forget the buzz I had living in Coventry from the age of 14 to 27.

"When I first moved I saw my friends quite frequently, but as time passed I saw them less and less.

"I myself have recently undergone a life-saving operation and am more aware than ever of the need to stay in touch.

"Already we've called about 100 people, and everyone is keen to catch up.

"But there are still many more out there who we've not been able to find, and we'd love to hear from them."

Entry to the event costs £5, with proceeds going to the Macmillan Cancer Care Nurses.

For details, call Brian on 07973 555 777.

Sainsbury's in Courthouse Green is searching for loyal customers who can share their memories of the store as part of the company's 140th birthday celebrations.

The store in Austin Drive hopes to find customers who can reminisce about the days before the introduction of self-scan checkouts, organic food and chip and pin with a view to inviting them to join the forthcoming 140th birthday celebrations planned in store.

Anyone with memories can call Jackie Padbury at the store on 02476 664477.

THE amazing story of an unsung heroine from Coventry who left home to launch The Salvation Army in America has been revealed in a new book.

Eliza Shirley was just 16 when she and her mother Annie took the work of the British movement to Philadelphia, a city plagued by vice and alcohol, in 1879.

After paying their own passage across the Atlantic, they immediately restored an old chair factory as their first meeting place.

Dr Navin, aged 95, who lives in the city's Cannon Hill area, was medical officer for the 12th Warwickshire (Coventry) Battalion, based at Westfield House, Radford, and the men on the photograph were his first aiders and stretcher bearers.

SEARCHING...Dr William (Bill) Navin's team of first aiders and stretcher bearers from the 12th Warwickshire (Coventry) Battalion of the Home Guard.

ON February 13, 1957, I gave birth to a son in Gulson Road Hospital, early in the morning.

Later on that same morning, the nurse in charge came rushing in, sat me up in the bed, combed my hair, presented my son to me and whispered something regarding Dresden.

She said: "Back in those days we had to go to school, attend normal lessons and were allowed time to play in the snow at lunchtime .

"Only three people owned cars on my street. And when it snowed they left their cars at home and walked to work instead because the roads were not gritted or salted."

Margaret understands life is different now with people living further away which makes travelling more dangerous in severe weather conditions.

In the early days, the firm made parts for the city's booming cycle industry. During the Second World War the firm manufactured parts for tanks and aircrafts.

The company closed in the late Sixties with the loss of more than 400 jobs.

Retired teacher Georgina Pollard, who grew up in Radford, says: "I have been given books of family photographs, most of which I have been able to identify with the help of my 91-year-old mother Elsie.

To honour the men who served and fell during the Great War, local communities formed committees, these committees instigated the erection and dedication of an appropriate war memorial.

I just read your story about the 7th Coventry Boy Scout group and it brought back memories of when I belonged to that group - back around 1948, I played a drum in the band and still have my drum sticks, my neckerchief and woggle even after 60 years, I remember going camping in Dawlish, Devon.

Mr Pyle was the Scoutmaster at that time and we used to meet in a hut on Old Church Road up Little Heath, those were the days!

We left Coventry in 1967 and now live in USA.

I am attaching pictures of myself today and of my boy scout equipment.

This photo was brought in by Jackie Hall, of Watery Lane, Keresley.

It was taken at the Railway Hotel in Lockhurst Lane, which was her grandfather Harry Frost's local.

Derek, of Astley Avenue, Foleshill, said: "The first picture is of summer camp at Woolacombe 1964."

Back row (from left): Alan Bull, Derek Oldham, John de Voisey, John Harris, John Bardon, Nicky Taylor, Bill Stevens, Chas Powner, Barry Chislett, Phil Whitehouse.

Middle row: Derek Pyle, Alan Stevens, Alan Harbin, Colin Mawdesley, Paul Bedford, Roderick Young, Dave Pyle. Front row: Alan Pyle, Bill Pyle, Susan Taylor, Cyril Pyle, Josephine Pyle, Roger Betson, Dave Gadsby.

"I USED to sit and put my feet in the Belgrade Fountain with my daughter and her son Peter. My son David would put a paper boat in and we could sit there all afternoon. It's a shame it's going, I'm 95 now but still think about it."

Mrs P Nelson, Dugdale Road, Radford.

BACK IN the forties football was a far cry from the modern game, both on and off the pitch.

Coventry City centre-forward Jack Evans and his contemporaries - the likes of Ted Roberts, Stan Smith, Trevor Lewis, Ken Jones and Charlie Timmins - enjoyed a decent living and way of life while it lasted.