THERE were hugs and tears all round when former members of a church youth group reunited after half a century.

Dozens of old friends gathered in the Manor House Hotel in Ferryhill on Saturday to reminisce on the happy times they shared at Broom Methodist Church Youth Club in the 1960s.

Sisters Anne Murray and Carolyn Hewison came up with the idea of staging a reunion a few years ago and joined forces with fellow youth clubbers Grant and Fred Wilkinson, Jen Sykes, Tony Stephenson, June Jamieson and Norman Flatman to plan the event. As well as a buffet and a quiz, the guests listened to 1960s music and enjoyed looking at old photographs.

Mrs Hewison said: “We are so thrilled with the turn out. It’s much better than we expected and it is so lovely to see everyone again.

“There were some people who perhaps didn’t recognise each other at first but once they did and started chatting the years simply fell away.”