THE cotton industry was fraying in East Lancashire and the chance of new jobs in South Africa was a tempting offer for many local weavers.

So, in 1963, 95 families from all over East Lancashire set off on a 5,000-mile journey to begin a whole new life.

They were among the first ‘immigrants’ to move to South Africa as the government sought to develop industry in the so-called ‘homelands’, and they included overlooker Brian Thompson.

He’s on the right of our first photograph, above right, with his wife Brenda and two sons, Robert on the left and Ian, with his trumpet, as they arrived at Jan Smuts airport, in Johannesburg.

The image was later used on a booklet setting out all the information new arrivals to the country would need, but the family had no idea until a relative sought details to move as well, and it arrived through the post.

The second photo, also included in the leaflet, shows a larger group of the East Lancashire contingent of cotton workers after disembarking from the plane 49 years ago.

Brian, who worked at William Birtwistle’s, in Lower Darwen, lived with his family in Dover Street, Blackburn. He said: “The cotton industry wasn’t doing well here, and South Africa was advertising for workers to move there.

“There were several meetings with representat-ives to find out about the country, the job, the way of life, and cost of living, and we decided to sell up and go. We went on a five-year contract, which was renewable, but we decided to come home after that time.

“It was an experience, but we missed home.”

Brian and his family set up their new home in East London, where Lancashire cotton manufacturer Cyril Lord set up a new £750,000 factory in the largest homeland, the Transkei, for the manufacture of poplin.

He stripped out three of his East Lancashire mills for the venture, shipping the machinery to South Africa, along with the 95 families, in specially-chartered aircraft.

l Were you one of the families who enlisted for the South Africa adventure? Do you have any stories to tell, or photographs to share?