The one thing that failed social networking website Friends Reunited had going for it was that it was supposed to reunite people who hadn’t seen each other for a long time. That is also the idea of their spin-off site, Genes Reunited – however, the low number of users on those sites means that they’re no match for simply putting a person’s name into Facebook – which is now the best way of tracking down a long lost friend or relative.
That’s just what Andy Spiers-Corbet did when he wanted to find his father, who he hadn’t seen since he was two years old – 37 years ago. Andy and his father Graham had tried looking for each other many times over the years, without success. Graham had even sent a birthday card to someone he thought was his son, but sadly it was not. Then one day Andy tried entering his dad’s name into Facebook, and found no fewer than 15 different Graham Corbets – one looking a lot like himself.
It has always been in my mind, constantly. Sometimes it just pops into my head. I just didn’t have a history, it felt like it needed to be done.
I had tried before on Facebook but no one came up, but when I tried this time there were about 15 Graham Corbets.
I looked through them all and there was a few I thought could be him, then his face popped up and my heart started pounding, there were tears in my eyes and I knew it was him.
It was like looking at myself when I’m 60.
After contacting his father Andy met up with him and his half brothers and half sister. Graham Corbet even met his grandson for the first time, all thanks to social networking website Facebook. Andy continued:
It was strange, but he has told them about me so it was like I had been in their lives anyway.
It was easier for them because they knew about me, but they greeted me with open arms and hugs.
