TWO women, one English and one French, who became pen pals on VE Day are still writing to each other - 80 years on.

Wellington resident Barbara Pearson, 92, and pen pal Marianne Duddilieu, 93, were put in contact as schoolgirls at the ages of 12 and 13 respectively, following the end of the second World War on May 8, 1945.

Barbara was then living in a northern mill town which suffered little during the war. Marianne, on the other hand, had been living in Orléans in central France, which had been under German occupation for four years.

The two friends are now celebrating their 80th year of their correspondence, as they continue to write to each other, Barbara in French and Marianne in English.

She said: “It’s remarkable because when I left school, at age 15, we were the only two who were still in contact.

“We grew up, left school, started work, met boyfriends, got married, and had our families. All of this was included in our letters; truly a chronicle of our lives.”

Now, 80 years later, Marianne lives alone, her two sons are retired and live in different parts of the country, and Barbara lives in Wellington with her husband Eric, with her daughter and son-in-law nearby.

While the two have met a number of times in both of their respective home countries, meeting is no longer an option due to age and infirmities, says Barbara.

But their memories are kept alive through Marianne’s meticulously kept archive of their hand written letters, and over the more recent years, through their computers as they continue write to each other via email.

Barbara said: “Perhaps it is a record – 80 years of friendship that still continues today. And such a simple beginning. Two names matched up at random on a school teacher’s list.”