Like brother and sister

ALWYN PRIOR and Sylvia Grace have a lot of catching up to do.

And it's not surprising - the pair last saw each other back in 1953, after living under the same roof in a Swiss village for three years.

Alwyn, 60, of Keighley, and Sylvia, 59, of Little Horton, Bradford, were among a group of eight children from West Yorkshire who were chosen to join youngsters from across Europe for a three-year stay in a special children's village in the beautiful Appenzell region of Switzerland.

The Pestalozzi Children's Village Foundation was set up for war orphans, children from single-parent families and children who were disadvantaged in one way or another, with the aim of giving them a good start in life.

Alwyn, who has twin brothers and a sister, and Sylvia, who has two sisters, were both being well brought up by their mothers and, despite the absence of one parent, are baffled to this day as to why they were picked.

But whatever the reason, they would not have missed it for the world. Says Sylvia: "It was terrifying really - we were only 12 and we had never been abroad, then we were saying goodbye to our families and we were put on a train and taken to the airport. We had never been in a plane before - it was all very exciting, but scary."

The eight children were among a group of 30 who were the first to be sent to the village from England. Their departure was big news, and attracted much media attention.

Once there, they lived alongside other youngsters from countries including France, Italy, Poland, Greece and Austria.

Their chalet-style house was split into two - the living quarters and the school room, where they had lessons in English.

Says Alwyn: "We spoke German in the village - everyone did." He has kept up his language skill and has remained fluent. Sylvia, who was then called Sylvia Newsome, can still master the basics.

Spending so much time together, the pair got to know each other extremely well. "We were like brother and sister," says Sylvia, "We were so close that I know for a fact I once washed Alwyn's socks."

Alwyn is quick to add: "And I definitely washed Sylvia's pots."

It was a great life in the picturesque village and the children, who returned home to England for six weeks each year, had lots of fun, but once back in England they went their separate ways.

Says Sylvia: "We were 15 and went straight to work so we lost touch, although I have remained friends with an Austrian girl I met called Inga."

A mother-of-four, Sylvia returned to the village 16 years ago with her late husband Barry for a reunion, but Alwyn, who also has four children, was not there. He returned only two months ago with his wife Carol, who arranged the trip as a present for his 60th birthday.

"It was great going back, and I really enjoyed it," he says, "But there was something missing - it wasn't the same without the others."

It was then that he decided to try to trace his 29 housemates. He got a list of names and addresses from the village foundation, and wrote to everyone. Sylvia was one of the first to reply. Originally from Leeds, the pair had no idea they both lived in the Bradford district.

When they met up one evening, they talked non-stop from 8pm to 2am. They plan many more get-togethers to share their happy memories. "It was a bit daunting to meet after all this time - you never know what each other will be like," says Alwyn, "But it's been brilliant. We are just like brother and sister."

Now Alwyn and Sylvia are hoping to trace the remaining members of the group with a view to holding a reunion at the village in Switzerland to mark the 50th anniversary of their stay.

l Were you one of the children in the Swiss Pestalozzi village from 1950 to 1953? If so, contact Helen Mead at the Telegraph & Argus, tel. 01274 729511, who will pass on your name.

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