Express & Star

Stafford pensioner seeks long-lost best man

It was a friendship built around a shared love of motorbikes and the open road.

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Barry Cook chose Eddie Winspur as his best man for his wedding on July 15 1967, due to the close friendship the pair had forged over a number of years after meeting as two bike-obsessed teenagers in Staffordshire.

But the pair saw less and less of each other as work and family demands took over, and after Barry and wife Sheila emigrated to Australia in 1989 lost touch completely.

Barry Cook, left and best man Eddie Winspur

Now, after stumbling across some old photos, Barry, originally from Highfields in Stafford, hopes to get back in contact with Eddie, from the Potteries, for a much-needed catch up.

Barry said: "These pictures just took me back to good times as soon as I saw them.

"They reminded me that I had a very good mate, a best man, and we drifted apart.

"I hope Eddie has been having a wonderful life since then and I would love to hear from him.

"He is always welcome to come over here and visit us too, it is a wonderful place to live and I am sure he would like it.

"I still drive an English car, so I haven't completely lost touch with home, he will be happy to know."

Barry, who worked as a buyer for Evo DC when the pair met and Eddie, a civil servant at the time, instantly bonded over their love of motorcycles.

Their paths crossed as they both took a break from riding around Staffordshire.

Barry said: "Like a lot of people at the time we loved our bikes.

"We were young guys and as you can imagine, life was about beer, bikes and chasing girls.

"Eddie wouldn't want me to say that because he was married at the time, so he was truthfully always well behaved.

"But we were young lads and liked to have a laugh together.

"We liked the same music and all of those things you share with your closest friends.

"We even went on holidays together, looking back I can't believe how we drifted apart."

As Barry began working long hours at different locations all over the country to start his own company, Gold Crest Adhesive, business took over his social life.

The company became successful and after joking about wanting to emigrate to Australia with his wife, an offer came that he couldn't refuse.

He said: "When I was invited to work in Australia, I just thought what have I got to lose?

"I took the offer and in the madness of packing up and moving on, I didn't get to say goodbye to Eddie.

"Life goes on, you make new friends, lose old ones, but you don't forget about people like Eddie."

When Barry's father-in-law died, his wife Sheila came across photos of the old pals as she organised her father's things.

Seeing these prompted Barry to make a plea for his friend to get in touch.

He said: "I have tried to find him on Facebook but had no luck, I have even tried searching the names of his relatives that I can remember.

"He wouldn't even know I had emigrated.

"It would be great to talk about the old days with my friend Eddie again."

Anyone with information can contact the newsdesk on 01902 313131.

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