IT’s always nice to catch up with old friends... especially if you haven’t seen them in more than seven decades.

WHEN pensioner Anne Thompson started talking to a woman who attended the same day centre as her, she thought she was making a new friend.

Little did she know that the woman she was talking to was actually someone she hadn’t seen for quite some time – more than 70 YEARS in fact.

This week, Anne, 86, was reunited with her childhood pal Violet Perry, 90, at the centre she attends three days a week.

The pair used to play together as girls growing up in Hackney, East London.

But they began to lose touch, and eventually Anne moved to WGC in 1955, with Violet heading to Ilford, Essex.

Mum-of-two Anne spent 53 years living in Birds Close, and worked as a caterer at the QE2 Hospital for 18 of them.

She moved to Norwich following the death of her husband Bill two-and-a-half years ago, to be nearer to her son Mark, although daughter Jean still lives in Stevenage.

It was in Norwich, at the Silver Rooms day centre, where Anne finally bumped into Violet after seven decades.

But at first, the pair had no idea who the other one was.

“We both go to the same club, and one day we started chatting and I asked where she was from, and she said she was originally from London,” Anne explained.

“I asked where she was from in London, and she said Hackney, and that’s how we became acquainted.”

Anne said the pair eventually realised that their memories of Hackney were more than just “strange coincidences”.

“I was shocked, it was unbelievable,” Anne said.

“To think that I could meet somebody after all these years. She’s a lovely little lady as well.

“Everybody’s lovely at the club though. I’m very happy.”

Violet said: “I’m a spiritualist and just have the feeling that it was meant to be.”