Reconnecting: Woman asks for help of Stratford community to find old flatmate

From left: Sandra Knowles, her mother Gladys and Wayne Middleditch in 1975. Photo / Supplied

It was an advert in a local paper that put Sandra Knowles in touch with her flatmate over 45 years ago, and now she is hoping this local paper will help her get back in touch with that flatmate again.

Sandra hasn't seen her old flatmate, Wayne Middleditch, for 18 years, and would like to get back in touch with him, something she is asking readers of the Stratford Press to help her with.

Sandra, 65, is originally from Palmerston North. In 1974, when she was 19, Sandra moved away from home.

"I got on a Newmans bus and I got off in Wellington."

Sandra met Wayne in Wellington, after seeing an ad in a local paper where Wayne was advertising for a flatmate.

"He had a job with Works and Development in soil conservation and I had just started a desk job a the Wellington courthouse. We clicked immediately."

Sandra then worked her way up at the courthouse, becoming a clerk.

"I believe I'm the first female clerk of Wellington Magistrates."

She says her and Wayne were very close friends.

"He was like a brother to me. He would always watch out for me. When I went on a date he would always wait up to make sure I made it home safely."

Sandra Knowles looking at her photo in an old Guardian Newspaper. Photo / Merania Karauria

Wayne and Sandra would often travel to Sandra's hometown of Palmerston North on weekends, where Sandra would sing at the Southern Cross Cabaret.

"I sang there from the age of 14 until 21."

She lived with Wayne until she was 21, when she travelled to Britian for a holiday before moving to Australia in 1977.

"I returned to New Zealand briefly in 2002 and spent 17 months here, mainly in Invercargill. I caught up with Wayne who at the time lived in Motueka in the South Island and worked in Nelson. I haven't seen him since then."

In 2003, Sandra went back to Australia to sell her property she owned there, before returning to Palmerston North in 2004.

After some inquiries, Sandra believes Wayne is now living in Stratford.

"My daughter, Katharine McBean, is a computer technician for Yorb. She went on Facebook and saw a profile under the name Wayne Middleditch. Middleditch is not a common name so I thought he might be living in the area.

"I'm not very computer savvy and I have no access to a computer or the internet so I can't get on Facebook."

Wayne is originally from Kerikeri and after living in Wellington, he moved to Motueka.

"His last known address is in Christchurch. I believe he would be around 67-69 now."

She says she would like to find Wayne and catch up.

"All up, I spent 28 years in Australia, that is a lot of time we never saw each other. I would just like to know how he is, and catch up with him after all this time."

■ Sandra is asking Stratford Press readers to help her reconnect with Wayne. If you know anything, please contact the Stratford Press team on 06 969 4024 or email alyssa.smith@nzme.co.nz