21 Jan 2002 - Lea and Beryl Ellis write

19 Jan 2002

Hello Sir
Some information for you, my mother Beryl Coburn (now Ellis), was a friend of the family of Norma Ann Sykes, and often walked to the park with Norma in her pram from an early age up until around the age of two.
Your information could be wrong, as she was born in Stockport Cheshire [near Manchester, ed.] , and lived at 25 Buckingham Street, for about 13 years.

She attended St George's School , on Buxton Rd, Heaviley, Stockport, Cheshire.

My Mother says she was a very good swimmer and won lots of medals for the school. She and her family moved from Stockport when she was in her teens and my mother thinks they were running a guest house in Blackpool.
Norma's mother was called Annie Haslam and her Father was Walter Sykes.
If you require my Mother has a picture of Norma Ann aged Two , which I will send to you soon. Hope this has been of some help.
Do you know where Norma Ann is today?

Regards Mr Lea Ellis & Beryl Ellis

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To which I replied:

Are you sure we are talking about the same Norma Sykes who became 'Sabrina'. My sources unanimously say she was Welsh - but the Internet has been wrong before ;-)

Does your mum remember if she had a scarred right ankle as a result of polio?

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And the reply was:

20 Jan 2002

HELLO MARK

YES WE ARE DEFINITELY SURE IT'S THE SAME PERSON, MY MOTHER OFTEN TALKED ABOUT NORMA ANN, AND HOW SHE BECAME SABRINA. AND HOW SHE WAS DISCOVERED BY ARTHUR ASKEY, AND THE ONE LINE SHE USE TO SAY, "DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU WANT TO SPIT".

MY MOTHER DOES REMEMBER THE SCAR ON HER ANKLE FROM POLIO .

AS SOON AS I FOUND YOUR WEB SITE MY MOTHER WAS ALMOST IN TEARS. I JUST SHOWN HER THE PHOTOS AND SHE SAID, "THAT'S SABRINA."
THE NICKNAME 'HUNCH FRONT OF LYME GROVE', MY MOTHER DOES NOT REMEMBER, BUT THERE IS A STREET NEAR NORMA ANN'S OLD HOUSE CALLED LYME GROVE.

[It's in Romiley, Cheshire: see a picture here. Ed.]

[ There could be a curious coincidence here: Lime Grove is where one of the BBC studios is located: see http://www.bbctv-ap.freeserve.co.uk/lg.htm - ed. ]

REGARDS LEA

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PLEASE FIND ENCLOSED THE PHOTO OF NORMA ANN SYKES (SABRINA) AGED 14 MONTHS.

Click to enlarge

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21 Jan 2002

Hi Mark
Thank you for putting the info on your site, my mother is very impressed.
Norma Ann's Mother worked as a seamstress and had bright ginger hair, her father was a natural blonde and had curly hair, he worked in Engineering, in Stockport.
My Mother is going to contact her Brother and Sister, to see if they can remember anything else. Did you Know that Norma Ann was a natural Blonde also?

Regards Lea

LEALARCOUNTY at aol.com