Sydney Dave '˜stoked' for meeting his old Blackpool pals

David Roskell, 71, wants to meet up with Glyn Stone, Trevor Andrews and Lawrie (Loz) Ryan who he went to Palatine Technical School with, when he arrives in the UK at the end of August.

He attended the school from 1959 to 1961 before it became a secondary modern.

Following an appeal by The Gazette in Monday’s edition, Lawrie Ryan came forward and says he noticed David’s face (inset) before even reading the story.

He said: “I turned the page and I instantly saw Rocky’s face.

“It doesn’t feel like five minutes ago that we were all in school.”

Following information from Lawrie, The Gazette managed to track down both Trevor and Glyn, who is a professor at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

David said he is looking forward to seeing his old school friends. He added: “This is great news. I’m stoked. “

David, who lives in Sydney, migrated in 1972 following a stint in the Army and last visited the resort in 1995.

Born in Layton, the oldest of eight siblings, he is making a two-month visit to the Fylde coast at the end of this month, and will be joined by five members of his family.

The rest of his family left Blackpool in 1968 to go Down Under and David followed suit four years later after leaving the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

The extended holiday is to mark 50 years since the Roskell family emigrated.