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Anne home from home on other side of world!

Michael Byrne
30/12/2003

OLD Rochdale schoolfriends swapped homes on different sides of the world for a Channel Four reality show.

Anne Drysdale and Anne Jacobs went to Bury Grammar School in the late 50s and early 60s and have remained friends, even though Mrs Jacobs has lived in Western Australia for nearly 30 years.

The friends were invited by Channel Four programme 'Home From Home' to swap homes for several weeks to see how they would cope in the different environment.

Mrs Drysdale went with husband David to Mrs Jacobs' home in Mandurah, near Perth. With them went friends Jean and John Ratcliffe.

Mrs Jacobs came to live in Mrs Drysdale's home in Wardle Road, Wardle, and television cameras followed their exploits. The results will be shown on Thursday and Friday, 8-9 January.

Mrs Drysdale said: "We got involved because Anne has done this sort of thing before. We were a bit dubious about doing the programme at first, but we really enjoyed making it.

"We had a lovely time in Australia, even though the weather was against us. We were told it would be just right, not too hot, but it was bitterly cold for the first two weeks we were there and then when we went to see a wildflower garden it was tipping down with rain.

"After staying in Perth for three weeks we then went to Sydney to see another school friend, so it was a wonderful trip."

Mrs Jacobs grew up in Haslam Street, Spotland, and emigrated to Australia with her husband, David, in the early 70s.

She is a well-known writer out there, even though her novels are still about life in Lancashire and the North West of England.

She gave many talks on her books while she was in Rochdale and was filmed visiting the town hall and the Toad Lane Pioneers Museum.