In 1956, Stuart Feeny and his best pal, David Iveson, posed for a photograph in a break from playing in the fields at Green Bottom Farm, Newsholme, near Keighley.

They were 11 years old, in short pants and lined up with David's dad, Richard and mum, Joyce.

The two lads had become close friends since Stuart lost his mum to cancer two years earlier.

It was a blissful life, far from the worries of the Suez canal crisis and the Hungarian revolution which headlined the world news.

But within weeks David had emigrated to New Zealand with his parents and Stuart was settling down at his new school, Holycroft in Keighley.

The next time the two pals were to meet face-to-face again was almost half a century later and on the other side of the world.

They were near Auckland in New Zealand when Stuart and his wife, Jean, who live in Cross Roads, paid David, his wife Maureen, and 88 year-old Mr Iveson a surprise visit.

"I'd become very close to the Ivesons when my mum died because I stayed with them a lot," said Stuart.

" Richard is getting on now and I wanted to see him again."

So Stuart arranged the surprise trip with the help of David's daughter, Angela.

"We arranged to stay in a motel only yards from David's home. Angela was in on the act and she contrived to get them round to her home when we arrived.

"When David and Maureen saw us there was absolute shock on their faces. I said 'David Iveson, I'm Stuart Feeny'. He just stood there open-mouthed, unable to speak. It was a very emotional moment and when I recall it now it makes me choke," said Stuart, a director at Colin Appleyard Motorcycles in Keighley.

They ended up staying with the Ivesons for four days, talking about old times with Richard and David, in between touring the Auckland area.

"We were only kids when David and I last met but it was funny how so much came flooding back," said Stuart.

"I took a video of Keighley to show them the changes, and it was remarkable how much David remembered."

In four years time David is planning to make his first return to Keighley to celebrate his 60th birthday.

"We can't wait to see them again and I'm looking forward to helping him renew his memories of the area - and we'll definitely be visiting Green Bottom Farm," said Stuart.