Man, 82, searching world for school sweetheart, finds clue in Halifax
It is a missed connection more than six decades in the making.
A Charlottetown, P.E.I., man in his 80s has travelled from England to Halifax on a search for information about his school sweetheart, in the hope of reconnecting with her.
Andy Jamieson, 82, last saw Sally Giles when they were both 18 and at school together in London.
"She's the girl that I first kissed, and she left a lasting impression," he said.
Jamieson and Giles went their separate ways after school. He emigrated to Toronto in 1957 and later moved to P.E.I.
Little known about lost love
Jamieson said he had a good marriage for 59 years, but his wife died about two years ago. After some time he began to think he would like another relationship, and his thoughts turned to Sally Giles.
"She's a redhead, very independent-minded, like I am myself," he said. "We were very similar in nature — we were at that time — and I don't suppose that has changed any."
Jamieson said he does not know much about Giles, but he thought she might have left the United Kingdom.
"I did have a sneaking suspicion that she emigrated, because she had this overbearing mother that crimped her style," he said.
He can't say for sure where she may have moved or even if she is still living. But he hopes she might be interested in renewing contact.
"Perhaps, if she is a widow and I am a widower, we might ... tie a knot," he said. "Whether that's going to happen or not, I don't know."
Clue at Pier 21
Earlier this month, Jamieson travelled to England hoping he could find Giles's relatives, but that search turned up nothing. On Friday he paid a visit to Pier 21 in Halifax, where he found a possible clue.
"We found that a Sally Giles took a boat from England to South Africa in 1960, which the timing is right, the name is right. Now I have to pursue that lead," he said.
Pier 21 staff at the Scotiabank Family History Centre helped Jamieson discover that a Miss Sally F. Giles had sailed from London, England for Cape Town, South Africa on the ship Durban Castle.
Jamieson was thrilled to find the information.
"Excited, really excited," he said. "I have to admit, I've gone through a gamut of emotions."
Jamieson now plans to write to friends in South Africa to see if they know any more information.
