ALL families love to have a get- together.

But how many can trace their relatives back to 1717?

The Lodge family can and they meet up regularly for reunions.

Three generations – aged from six months to 75 – gathered for a dinner at the Old Golf House Hotel in Outlane.

The family, which has traced back ancestors living in the Huddersfield area to 1717, are spread all over the country and have frequent reunions.

These were started by Raymond Lodge, who went to Almondbury Grammar School with his brother Frank, and the family managed to hold a few get-togethers before he died six years ago.

Since then the family tradition has been continued with the help of Frank’s son, Douglas, with family members taking it in turns to organise different venues.

Douglas, of Salendine Nook, said: “After my uncle died my cousin and I decided to carry on the tradition. We do something every year in different parts of the country, depending on whose turn it is to organise it.

“Last year we were in Hull and this year we were in Outlane because it was my turn to do the organising.

“It can be quite tricky to organise because we’re all over the country. My daughter lives in Japan, so unfortunately she’s not managed to make one yet.

“But we really do enjoy these get-togethers; we all have such a fantastic time.”

This year 32 members of the family were at the reunion, including Douglas’ nephew, Andrew Pygott, whose Skelmanthorpe-based business Innovation Productions has helped organise concerts for the likes of Elton John.

Members of the family recently traced back their ancestors and found that they were one of Huddersfield’s oldest families, having originally worked in the textile industry.

One of their ancestors, William Lodge, was born in 1717 in Lepton and another, George H Lodge, was the licensee at Castle Hill Hotel before he died aged only 40.

More recently, some of the members of the family who remained in Huddersfield worked for Brook Motors, with Douglas working as chief designer.