IT’S more than 40 years since the ‘Happy Wanderers’ was founded in Barnsley.

The group included a group of businessmen, police officers and members of amateur and professional theatre groups. Members came from Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Barnsley, meetings were held in the Travellers Rest, Dodworth, and they raised money for charity.

They thought nothing of dressing up as Russian delegates purporting to be visiting this country, Spanish onion growers or members of the Asian Congress of Culture.

Trips were organised to the seaside, usually to Blackpool or to Bridlington and Scarborough.

Members included Doug Parkin, Duncan Turnbull, Bill Hodgson, Tommy Smith, Jimmy Lisle, a singer renowned for his fine bass/baritone voice, Brian Gill, Sol Littlewood, Terry Fawcett, Stan Harrison, Angus Meek, Curly Burton, a Stairfoot fish and chip shop proprietor, and founder member, ex-Barnsley bobby Bill Harber.

They travelled on Majestic Coaches, run from Barugh Green by Harry Cawthorne. His son, Malcolm, drove one of the coaches to Blackpool in 1979 and a great time was had by all. Mr Cawthorne has loaned a photograph of some of the members on a horse-drawn landau on Blackpool seafront that year. He joined other members of the group on the landau and is seated at the left-hand rear. Can anyone name the other three members?

Information to Kath Parkin, Editorial Department, Barnsley Chronicle, 47 Church Street, Barnsley.

MR Cawthorne (senior) was an expert at renovating old vehicles. At one time he bought a pre-war fire-engine and spent many hours working on it. The fire engine is now kept in the Fire Station Museum in Sheffield.

He died shortly after he managed to finish the restoration which took place at his garage in Darton over two years. But he wouldn’t have been able to complete the work if it hadn’t been for the help he received from his many friends. Bid to reach pal