2003 mystery photograph pair identified

SEVENTEEN YEARS ON: Siblings Trish and Bodie Thompson were identified as the young people in a 2003 photo which fell out of a book bought at a Gisborne secondhand store. A Gisborne woman brought the book to The Herald in hope of identifying the young people in the photo.The book was a Christmas present to Bodie in 2000. Pictures supplied

Books can end up in places you never imagined.

Two young people in a family photograph that dropped out of a secondhand book when a Gisborne nanny was about to give it to one of her moko have been identified.

The book is titled 4000 Things You Should Know About Animals.

Inside the cover is a handwritten note: “This belongs to Bodie Thompson” .

The nanny bought the book last year and last month passed it on to The Herald in the hopes of finding the people in the photo dated 2003.

Her hopes were fulfilled.

The pair in the picture have been identified as Trisha Thompson and younger brother Bodie Thompson also known as Bodie Kane.

“Oh my God, I'm about to cry. I remember that book so clearly.” Bodie told The Herald when contacted through Facebook. “I got it for Christmas in 2000 and it was my absolute favourite.”

Bodie and Trisha never lived in Gisborne. They grew up in Tauranga and Bodie wonders how the book made its way to a Gisborne secondhand shop.

“Woah, there's just so many memories with the book and photo” he said. “I didn't even realise the book wasn't kept throughout my whole childhood because it was my favourite.

“The picture was taken at Australia Zoo where we met Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter, who died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb ).”

Bodie and Trisha won the trip through the Edge Radio Station's former annual fundraiser Jingle Bail.

The Morning Madhouse presenters locked themselves in a makeshift jail cell somewhere in New Zealand and stayed there for 24 hours a day until the target amount was raised. Deserving children who were sick or had been through a rough time were nominated by listeners.

“I have third-degree burns covering my complete neck, chest and both arms — about 35 percent of my body,” said Bodie. “I was constantly in and out of surgeries yearly.

“I was severely bullied at primary school and had the worst time overall in life, so my sister Trisha nominated me and we were one of the winners.”

Bodie is now a fashion designer working as a dressmaker and tailor. Trisha works for NZME as a digital marketer.

Both live in Wellington.

The book and photo has been sent to Bodie, who said he would love to have the items back.