A small, unassuming model in a corner of Floriana’s Sa Maison Gardens has served as an unlikely point of connection for one Englishman and his grandmother – 84 years apart.

Shortly before Pamela Humber passed away seven years ago at the age of 87, she gave her grandson, Wayne Humber, a small envelope containing photos taken in Malta, where she lived as a young girl while her father was stationed on the island with the British army.

Among the photos, Mr Humber told the Times of Malta, was one in which she and her brother posed next to a small statue of a castle.

The envelope said the photos were taken in 1933 at the Lower Barrakka Gardens.

“In our last six years, we have casually walked around Valletta and asked around with the hope of finding the model in the photo, but with no success,” he said.

I could see the spark in her eyes that told me she had seen this before

Mr Humber, who lives in the town of Sandy, in Bedfordshire, England, was already a frequent visitor to Malta, having first travelled with his grandparents on his first holiday abroad and returning as often as twice a year with his partner, Donna, in recent years.

On their most recent visit in September, he and Donna walked the area again, and were ready to give up when they decided to stop by the War Museum. There, without much thought, he decided to show his photo to the ticket attendant.

“I could see the spark in her eyes that told me she had seen this before. After a minute she told us it was situated in Sa Maison Gardens and gave us rough directions nowhere near where we were looking.”

Wayne Humber and his partner, Donna, found the statue at Sa Maison Gardens.

Mr Humber and his partner set off with renewed vigour towards Floriana, stopping to ask directions along the way. One man said he recognised the statue, but wasn’t sure whether it still existed.

“This brought us back down from our high, but undeterred, we entered the gardens via a creaky gate,” Mr Humber said.

“After a short walk down the levels, I will never forgot Donna saying ‘there it is’. We spent a good hour in the spot where my grandma had been 80-odd years before.

“It was a special moment defining why I love Malta: it makes me feel close to my grandparents.” Some online searching by Mr Humber revealed that the statue depicts the Castle of Gibraltar.

The statue is a memorial to the Essex Regiment, which was once based in Malta. As his grandmother was born and lived in Barnet, North London, which is not far from Essex, Mr Humber believes there may be a connection.

“I’ve told some of my aunts and uncles about it, and it was emotional for all. Now Sa Maison Gardens will be a destination for us all,” he said.