Lancashire and South Carolina pen pals of 70 years meet for first time

A brace of 80-year-old pen pals who person been penning to each different since 1955 person yet fulfilled their "lifelong wish" to conscionable successful person.

Patsy Gregory, from Hoghton successful Lancashire, travelled astir 4,000 miles to conscionable Carol-Ann Krause successful Conway, South Carolina, who she began penning to arsenic a 12-year-old Girl Guide.

Mrs Gregory said Mrs Krause was precisely arsenic she imagined she would be.

"I recognised her instantly and it conscionable felt natural," she said.

Mrs Gregory said though the brace had not before, their lives had taken akin patterns.

"We're some the aforesaid property [and] got joined astir the aforesaid time," she said.

"[We] some had 3 children and we've gone done life, each the trials and tribulations, and shared it.

"It's perfectly beauteous and we're some inactive here."

Mrs Krause, who was a Girl Scout erstwhile the correspondence began, said though they had not met earlier successful person, "it feels similar we've known each different forever".

"We started successful pencil, moved connected to ink, past typing and present we tin email and enactment successful interaction connected societal media," she said.

Mrs Gregory's travel was organised by her 3 children arsenic a peculiar acquisition for her 80th day and her girl Steph Calam accompanied her for the journey.

"Mum has ever wanted to conscionable her American penfriend," Ms Calam said.

She said the gathering had been connected her mother's "bucket list", arsenic it was "one of her life-long regrets" that they had ne'er met successful person.

"It was precise affectional erstwhile they met,"she added.

"I was rather choked up erstwhile they hugged for the archetypal time.

"They deed it disconnected instantly and person a batch successful common.

"They've been talking non-stop."

Mrs Gregory and her girl stayed for 9 days successful South Carolina, with overmuch of that clip being spent Mrs Krause and her family.

The 2 pen pals said they would proceed to enactment successful interaction done letters and cards, but were not definite if the gathering would ever beryllium repeated.