Man reunited with long lost friend after more than 30 years

Mohammed Azam, aged 63, now of Firswood in Stretford, but who lived in Bolton in the 1980s, was recently reunited with his old friend, Ken Holt.

His daughter, Anisa Fatima, aged 31, wanted to find her father’s friend who he had not seen since his time living in Bolton.

She approached The Bolton News and a story was published last month asking if anyone had any information about Ken’s whereabouts.

Mohammed and Ken meeting for the first time in decades (Image: Mohammed Azam)

He got in touch with Anisa within five hours of the article being released.

Mohammed and Ken finally met  at Mohammed's family house.

Mohammed, who used to live in Settle Street in Great Lever, was going through a rough patch when he met Ken.

Ken knocked on Mohammed’s door one night, selling insurance, when he was invited in.

He would return regularly to the house, striking up a friendship with Mohammed and his friends and family at the house.

In order to secure Mohammed a loan for a down payment on a shop in Moss Side, Ken was willing to use his house as security.

Mohammed said: “We lost touch. The guy had just gone out of his way to do me a really good favour and then disappeared.

“I was sat there talking to my daughter (Anisa) one day looking at a picture of five or six friends together. I showed it to her and she asked do I know where he (Ken) is?

“The last I knew was that he’d gone to Preston. The next thing I know, I’ve got a call from my daughter saying can you come home a little earlier today, there’s something important, so I did.

An old picture of Ken with Mohammed's family and friends at his house in Bolton (Image: Mohammed Azam)

“The doorbell went, I opened the door and went outside and there’s Ken!”

He added: “I was absolutely shocked, just stunned to see him – and I saw Helen (Ken's wife), I hadn’t seen her either. I had a really good time, Ken stayed for about five to six hours.”

As it turned out, Ken and Helen had moved to Preston after Mohammed had moved to Moss Side.

Ken and his wife, Helen, stayed and talked with Mohammed for hours (Image: Mohammed Azam)

Mohammed said: “He said to me he’s still in the same house he moved to then, and has done really well for himself. He always has been a really clever guy.

“You know when you meet someone out of the blue and you find that mutual respect and friendship.

“He would come on in, just join in with everybody. When he found things too much, he could just leave his house and come to ours and relax.”

He added: “It’s simple- if it wasn’t for Ken helping me, I don’t know where I’d be today.”