Two childhood sweethearts have been reunited after more than 85 years, thanks to a decades-old school photograph.
Jim Dougal and Betty Davidson (née Dougal) were inseparable as children in Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, during the 1930s, often walking to school hand in hand. Their paths diverged when Jim’s family moved away around 1939, and they lost contact. However, Jim's son Alistair, while researching a class photo from 1936, managed to bring them back together.
The reunion took place recently in North Yorkshire, and Alistair described the moment as “magical,” though he admitted it didn’t quite capture the full significance.
Jim, now 96 and living in Rayne, Essex, was born in Eyemouth in 1928. His son’s research into their family’s ancestry led him to discover a class photo from Eyemouth Primary School, likely taken when Jim was about eight years old. The photo included 32 children—Betty among them.
After Jim left Eyemouth, he was conscripted into the army and later met his wife, Iris Gibbs, in an army camp in Essex. Betty, on the other hand, stayed in Eyemouth until around 1950, when she met Alfred “Ivor” Davidson. They later moved to Tweedmouth, and eventually to North Yorkshire, where Betty still lives near Northallerton.
Alistair, captivated by the old photo during a visit to Eyemouth, decided to track down the other children from the picture. With the help of his father's exceptional memory, he learned that the classmates had spread across the globe, from Australia to Canada to New Zealand, though most had passed away.
The first person Alistair located was Margaret MacCauley (née Duggie), still living in the Eyemouth area. Betty, also 96, was the second person he found. Alistair said, “I was almost sure I had found her in North Yorkshire, but I wasn’t completely certain.”
In a final attempt to confirm her whereabouts, Alistair posted the photo in the Eyemouth Past Facebook group, asking for help. Within an hour, Betty’s niece, Maureen Stevenson, responded: "That's my aunt Betty, and she’s alive and well in North Yorkshire."
Alistair wrote to Betty, and she immediately called him upon receiving the letter. To his surprise, she also sent him a photo of her and Jim together, taken around 1936, along with her sister Wilhelmina (Elma). The photo showed the young children with their arms around each other—one that left Jim deeply moved.
The story culminated in a heartwarming reunion nearly 90 years after the photo was taken. Alistair noted, "Before we left, they re-enacted that old photo. They looked just as happy and comfortable together as they had back then."
Today, only three of the 32 children from the photo remain: Margaret, Jim, and Betty. As Jim remarked, "That Betty should be one of those three—it feels like destiny."
Betty fondly recalled their childhood. "We used to walk to school together every day," she said. "I’d knock on his door, or he’d knock on mine. We were good pals."
Their reunion was sparked when the school photo appeared in the Berwickshire News. "Jim and I were both in that photo, and I think the others have all passed away," Betty reflected. "I was the last one left, and Jim wanted to get in touch. I was surprised, but it was lovely."
The two chatted over the phone a few times, and soon after, Jim and Alistair traveled to visit Betty. "It was so nice to reconnect after all these years with my childhood sweetheart," Betty said, adding that Jim had always been a bit shy, but they had shared a strong friendship.
Jim described the reunion as "fantastic" and fondly remembered their time together in Eyemouth. "We lived across the street from each other. Betty lived behind the bakery," he said. "We went to school and played together—it’s incredible that we’re both still here. It was worth every bit of effort to meet up with her again."
Reflecting on the trip, Jim added, "It was tiring, but it was well worth it. Betty was fantastic—she still has that spark in her eye, and a bit of that fair hair I remember."
