The most recent came from John Bevan, a former Toronto resident who now lives in the United Kingdom.

He contacted me to see if I could help him find a long-lost friend who lived in Georgetown in the late 1960s.

John and his wife Jo have been trying to locate Ernest James Knight and his wife Beryl, for some time now. John and Jo lost contact with the Knights when they left Canada to return to England in 1968.

And John and Ernie had been best friends since they were seven-years-old.

Through e-mails, I asked John to send me as much information as he could recall, to see if I could track down Ernie and Beryl.

"We met on his seventh birthday and grew up together, eventually emigrating to Canada," wrote John, "I know very little apart from the fact that Ernie was a semiconductor salesman and that my brother David met them in Georgetown on a visit in the 1980s."

"(As children) We lived a few houses away from one another, he at 88 and I at 92 Westbourne Terrace Paddington London W2," continued John, "We briefly went to the same junior school then he went on to a grammar school Buckingham Gate."

As young boys, both Ernie and John attended football games in London, and grew up together. John eventually married Jo, and a few years later they had Miles, their son.

With dreams of the land of opportunity, John, Jo, their son Miles and Ernie, came to Canada in 1966. After searching for work in Quebec City and Ottawa, they caught a train to Toronto.

In Toronto, both John and Ernie found work. They were required to register their birth certificates with the local social services, and lived in Downsview, not far from Yorkdale Plaza.

Yorkdale turned out to be the location of an incredible coincidence. One day, while John and Jo were shopping at Yorkdale, John took their St. Bernard dog outside to cool off, and sat on a bench.

"It was then that I saw a little red change purse on the ground," wrote John, "You have to remember that we knew no one in Toronto at the time. I bent down and picked up the purse. To my total and utter surprise there was 35 cents and Ernie's birth certificate. He was not aware he had lost it."

Later, when Ernie married Beryl, they moved to Georgetown, but John can't recall their address.

"He had just got married and we had decided to return to England via the USA, Mexico and Central America," wrote John, "According to my brother David, Ernie and Beryl had two daughters."

Ordinarily, John would ask his brother for more info, but unfortunately, David died three years ago.

I searched various databases and sources, as well as directory assistance for Georgetown, Milton, Acton, and Brampton.

Looking for E. or B. Knight, I called some of the numbers that were possibilities, but with no luck.

So where did Ernie and Beryl get to?

John is 67 years-old and he says Ernie would be 66. If anyone has any info about Ernie or Beryl, give me a call, or e-mail me at the address below.

John sums it up best in his own words:

"I have so many happy memories of us laughing, playing football and cricket, camping, cycling but mostly sharing a friendship which I have never given up even though we have not seen each other since 1969. Needless to say I'm so grateful for anything that you may be able to do."

If you have any info, call me-- I know a guy in London who'd be most pleased.

--Ted Brown can be reached at

tbrown@independentfreepress.com