A FORMER Penketh man has put skills learnt in Warrington to good use at a theme park on the other side of the world!

Reg Colter, formerly of Heath Road, moved to Australia in November 1953, aged 20. Before he left Warrington he trained at Warrington Technical College and worked at Rylands, discovering a talent for engineering.

A friend, John Longhurst, the former owner of Dreamworld, a massive theme park on the Queensland coast, knew of Reg's work and asked him to rebuild a Baldwin steam two-feet-gauge locomotive, The Cannonball Express.

"I must have learned something at Warrington Tech," said Reg, "all thanks to Mr Bell, my teacher!"

Reg has very happy memories of growing up in Warrington and is also trying to trace an old friend. Marion Renshaw lived in nearby Coniston Avenue. She married a Mr Gordon, who Reg thinks was from Stockton Heath, in 1954 or 1955, and had a brother called Billy.

If you know where Marion is now, call Reg on 61 2 43 93823 or write to him at 7 Irwan Street, Saratoga 2251, New South Wales, Australia.