Vera moved to a new life with husband Alan to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia in 2005.
Alan, a former reporter on The Bolton Evening News and Farnworth and Worsley Journal, now works as a senior sub editor on the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Through the wonders of the internet, Vera discovered that two of her schoolfriends from Farnworth Grammar School in 1953, were living just a few miles away.
The three had not seen each other for 50 years and recently met up for lunch.
Vera said: "We found that we still have much in common, mutual friends and similar interests. I put that down to our Farnworth roots."
It just goes to prove that former Boltonians might move half way round the world - but they are never far away from their roots.
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