A Rastrick woman reunited with her parents after 37 years has treated them to a celebration they will never forget.

Christine Wilson, 58, of Thornhill Road, Rastrick, was reunited with the parents she thought she would never see again last November when her daughter-in-law started tracing their family tree.

Now more than 50 years later Mrs Wilson is making up for lost time by treating her parents to a special 64th wedding anniversary surrounded by a family they didn't know they had.

Mrs Wilson launched the surprise celebration on her parents John, 89, and Harriet Thomas, 85, on a trip to Brighouse.

She said: "I told them that we were going into Brighouse for some glasses but I surprised them with glasses of a different kind. They didn't know anything about it - it was a total surprise but they really enjoyed it."

A dozen of the couple's grandchildren and great-grandchildren had gathered to surprise the them at the Black Bull pub in Brighouse.

Mrs Thomas said: "It was an great day, I just can't believe it. I can't explain how I felt to meet my daughter after all this time and this party was wonderful.

"I often wondered how my daughter was getting on, what she looked like and how she was. But she's turned out brilliant and we are getting on champion."

Mrs Wilson, along with her five brothers and sisters, was separated from her parents when she was just three and sent to a children's home in Hull.

Although Mrs Thomas visited her daughter at the home the pair had not seen each other since 1961.

Mrs Wilson said: "It was absolutely wonderful to meet my parents again. I recognised my mother instantly. Not all family stories like this turn out happily but I'm glad this one has."

Mr and Mrs Thomas have now moved from the nursing home where they were living in Hull to be with their daughter in Rastrick and are looking forward to getting to know her better.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.