A WOMAN is appealing to Ilkley residents to help her trace the grandmother she has never seen.

Carol Holdsworth's maternal grandmother lost contact with her family

following an illicit war time love affair.

Mrs Holdsworth is hoping to piece together her family tree - and solve a

mystery which has haunted her family for years.

Mrs Holdsworth, of Bradford, has spent months searching for her long lost

relations.

She knows that her grandparents, Alfred Thomas Powell and Ada May Powell, nee Alderson, were married at on July 23, 1927, at Bradford Registry Office.

The couple had three children Muriel, Carol's mother, Joseph and Margaret.

Some time during the Second World War they separated and Ada left with another man who worked at Norman's Caf, in Shipley - leaving no trace.

Earlier this year, Carol managed to track down one of the grandparents' children, her Uncle Joseph, in South Africa - after a search of the world-wide web.

Mrs Holdsworth said: "He was really easy to find. It only took a few weeks. It is like when you see these television

programmes of people being reunited you wonder what you going to say."

They are now in regular contact by e-mail and Mr Powell was able to give her the next piece of the jigsaw, which could help her find her grandmother.

He believes that she worked in a public house, in Ilkley, some time in the 1940's.

It is thought the couple never divorced but it is possible that Mrs Powell remarried after the death of her estranged husband in 1950.

Mrs Powell did attempt to get in touch with her children after she left, through their school, but later had no further

contact. It is possible that Ada is still alive - and could even have another family. She was born on May 3, 1909 and she would be 91 years-of-age.

Mrs Holdsworth hopes that somebody in Ilkley will hold the key to her family mystery. She said: "Somebody might remember something. It would just be nice to know what happened to her.

"It is intriguing because we have never met her. It is not the closeness you want, it is wanting to know if she is still alive. It is the missing link."

Carol's uncle will be reunited with the family after more than 40 years when he travels to Bradford next month. Anyone with any information about Ada should contact Mrs Holdsworth on 01274 542201.