Judith Broome and Sherry Smith could very well be the longest pen-pals in history.

Judith, of Stockport, England, and Sherry, of Beacon Hill, Sandys, both aged 49, have been pen pals since the age of nine and there is no documented knowledge of anyone else who has had a 40-year-long pen-pal relationship.

Judith, a nursery nurse, who is currently visiting her pen-pal Mrs. Smith, a payroll benefits administrator, here on the Island said: "We write to each other regularly and have always sent each other photos, birthday and Christmas cards. We have never forgotten a birthday or Christmas card over the 40 years."

Sherry said: "Our friendship started when Judith's primary school teacher, Mrs. Garrison of Alexandra Park Primary, moved to Bermuda to teach in 1968. She came to my school, Paget Primary, which at the time was called Ord Road School.

"Mrs. Garrison, who was also my teacher, started a pen-pal programme. We were not originally pen-pals but had friends who were pen pals introduce us. The rest is history."

The two said that during the years they sent letters to each other, they never waited for a response from the letter sent before they sent another. "We just wrote when we felt like it. There was no order with it," said Sherry.

The relationship continued this way for 13 years before the duo finally met at age 22. "We planned the whole trip in 1981, flight and all, through letters.

"At that point we kept saying that we want to meet and we would like to come to Bermuda, but things were very expensive at the time.

"Finally we caught a sale on Freddy Laker, a discontinued discounted airline, which took us to New York then we flew on Eastern Airlines, another discontinued airline, here to the Island. I came here with my fiancé, who is now my husband, Howard Broome," said Judith.

Sherry said that she went to the airport to pick up the couple and waited and waited but they never got off the plane. "We assumed they missed their flight. Back in those days no one had cell phones so there was no way to confirm if they were on the flight or not. We left the airport and I instructed my uncle, who worked as a porter, to look out for them and put them in a taxi to my home if they arrived."

She said that they were stuck in immigration so that is how she missed them.

Judith said that they didn't know what to expect when they came to the Island but came with an opened mind, stayed for two weeks and were pleasantly surprised.

When the couple left Bermuda, Judith and Sherry continued their letter friendship and it was many years before they would be face to face again, in fact 15 years.

This time Sherry Smith decided to go to the Broome's home in Stockport, in 1996. This was also the very first time the two had ever held a phone conversation.

"We just wrote and we never thought to call one another, even the directions from London, Gatwick airport to Stockport were mailed to me. The only reason we exchanged numbers at this point, was because I was going to England and it was more for security reasons," said Sherry.

So now, 12 years later, the old friends connect again. They both say that since the age of the Internet, they mostly email each other or call. "We haven't started to use any instant messaging services online yet but that may be something we can explore," said Judith. They say they still send card and pictures on special occasions.

"Although we haven't spent a lot of time together physically, we have spent a life time getting to know each other long distance.

"In the time that we have been spending time together, we have noticed that we have many similarities. We have the same taste in decor, foods, hobbies and style. We were even pregnant at the same time," Sherry said.

When asked the reason there are big time lapses in their communication and reunions, Mrs. Smith said: "We just led busy lives and we both had families to raise so we just contacted each other when we could. I believe our relationship has flourished because of this reason."

They did however, agree to keep in contact more often and to take more trips to visit each other.

"Now that our children are of age, and our responsibilities are not as strenuous, we may plan to go on vacation together, maybe a cruise, just the four of us, Judith, Howard, myself and my husband Leslie," said Sherry.

Judith and her husband Howard, who are also celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on the Island, said that they love Bermuda and couldn't think of a nicer place to spend it than on the beautiful Island and in the company of good friends.