50 YEARS ago this September 100 lads, all still wet behind the ears, started an apprenticeship at the famous Austin Motor Company in Longbridge, Birmingham. The next four to five years were spent learning how to become engineers, accountants, sales and marketing professionals, in short, anything and everything to do with making what were, at that time, some of the world’s finest motor cars – Mini, 1100, 1800, Austin Healeys, MGB, Midgets and so on. I don’t think we could have received a better education anywhere.

In December every year, a dinner is held by the ex Apprentices Association and for the 82nd dinner in December 2015 we are making a special effort to contact every one of those 100 and invite them to celebrate this special 50th anniversary. Sadly, over the years many of the records have become out of date and we have lost contact with a large number, so we’d like your help to get in touch with them.

There may be several ‘1965ers’ now living in Wales, of course, but in particular we are trying to contact Geoff Edmunds from South Wales. Like me, he would be in his mid 60s now and we think he ran a 4x4 company in Caerleon. My wife and I have relations living in Newport and we visited that area recently, but without success. If any of your readers can help us, we’d be really pleased to hear from him and any other ex-Austin apprentices who read this letter. I can be contacted at tim@timothyking.plus.com.

Tim King, Main Street, Bishampton, Worcestershire