ALTHOUGH nearly 80 years has passed since this school photo was taken, these two elderly women are determined to find the missing links from their childhood.

Using their maiden names to help them, Eileen Walker and Amelia Flight, both 89, are hoping to find some very old classmates from Larkswood School, in New Road, Chingford.

With only a class photo from 1937 to help them, the lifelong friends, who have both been married for an incredible 69 years, have managed to put 20 names to faces so far.

The black and white photo showing the schoolgirls aged 10 was rediscovered recently by Eileen, who was inspired to search for others after a chance meeting with a classmate at a hospital.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Larkswood School, 1937

Walking into the hospital lift almost eight decades of life drifted away as Eileen immediately recognised her.

Eileen said: “We both looked at each other and I said to her ‘Sheila Taylor’ and she said ‘yes but I can’t remember your name but you were at school with me.’

“Well I said ‘it was only 82 years ago’ and the other people in the lift were amazed saying they can’t remember what they did last week.

“After seeing Sheila, I started to wonder where all the others are, and wonder how many are still alive.”

The bond between Eileen and Amelia was secured during The Blitz, when many bombs dropped over Chingford.

Amelia added: “A time bomb fell near our house in south Chingford during the war and Eileen’s mother kindly let us stay in their house when Eileen was evacuated.”

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Some of the names are filled in 

Sadly a bomb killed one of the girls in the class photo just three years after it was taken.

Eileen Strevens, pictured far left in the second to top row, was just 13 when a bomb killed her in Chingford Avenue.

Eileen said: “It’s awful to think about it because we know she didn’t have much of a life.

“It’s so sad, you can see her name on the Second World War memorial in Chingford Mount Road.”

While Eileen and Amelia have kept in touch over the years, Amelia said she has not seen anybody else from the photo.

She added: “I hope there are some still out there, we’d love to meet them.”

If you have any information about the women in the photo, contact out reporter on joe.roberts@london.newsquest.co.uk or call 07824 530127.