THREE generations of a Barry family are celebrating after being reunited with a long-lost sporting cup, after it featured in the Barry & District News.

Following a recent appeal, rightful owners Nicki Charles, 75, her daughter Lisa Charles, her daughter Katie Charles Dudkle, 17, and Nicki’s son Mark, 54, of Great Yarmouth, stepped forward to claim the missing skating trophy once won by Nicki’s father William John Charles and dad of Barry solicitor Hugh Charles.

A Barry & District News reader, who did not want to be named, had discovered the trophy in a High Street shop cellar, forgotten about it for two years, but re-discovered it in a cupboard and thought the rightful owners would like to regain the distinctive prize.

The cup bears the inscription: “Pavillion Skating Rink Tonypandy. One Mile Amateur Championship. Won by W J Charles September 1910” and that clue was all that was needed for the Barry & District News-reading family to turn the page and catch sight of what had been theirs.

And a bizarre twist of fate has led the strangers-to-each other cup finder and former cup losers to discover that Katie’s father had, three years ago, coincidentally and unknowingly bought the same shop the finder’s husband had owned and Lisa’s partner grew up with the finder and knew her well.

Lisa, 46, said: “We are chuffed to bits.

“It was 30 years ago. I remember the feel of it and remember it being crushed.

“It’s come full circle and it feels special. It was just like it had to come home.”

The cup will now occupy a pride of place with Nicki in its resumed role as a family heirloom.