22nd Feb - Old Friends #22 Makes me Smile

Well I tried altering my blog but blocked Jenni so unless I list the people who I want to read this I am putting up with Anon as Karen does.
#22 Makes me Smile...meeting my oldest son for coffee this morning :) This is our first meet up since his birthday nearly a month ago so you can understand the smile!! It was good to see him

Affairs of the Heart part 2 -  Friends
I was an only child but never felt lonely at home as my father was a teacher so he came home at the same time as me from school and was great company and fun!  During my Sec school days I had a group of friends, we went around with in and out of school. Judy still lives in the town and I call her my oldest school friend since we knew each other at Brownies and our parents were friends. She came back after teacher training college and taught in Hastings as I did. After having our children, (we didn't go back to work in those days!) we regularly me. Sadly these days we are only in touch by cards at Christmas and birthdays.
In the 6th form (we were a Grammar school) several girls joined for the local Sec Modern and I became close friends with Monica. We spent our weekends and holidays together in coffee bars and Jazz club nights which were Tues, Fri and Sat nights, on the prowl for males!! Going to Teacher training college for me and work in London for Monica at 18 meant we saw very little of each other each year but she was still my chief bridesmaid in 1967 and Godmother to my 2 children in 1970 and 1976. By then she had married a lovely man called Alun but again we have now drifted apart and although they have 2 grown up daughters I have only seen them a couple of times as children and I have no idea if they are married or have any children either.A Christmas card a year is our only connection :(
My closest friends I made whilst at college for 3 years. There were 4 of us who have stayed close since 1963. Pat lives in Chew Magna Somerset, Ann nr Ampthill Beds and of course my room mate for 3 years Sue who you all know went to live in BC Canada and died in May last year. Although we have never lived close to each other, occasional long phone calls and 2/3 visits per year is enough to be as close as we were at college. We continue to laugh, argue and cry together as we did all those years ago and have many times and seen each other through sad, difficult and happy times.
 Here are some photos of us all
In 1964 all 4 of us in our digs back garden, Sue has her hair in rollers and a cap on, Pat is lying down and Ann is LH and I am RH side. note the knickers on the line!!!

1969 all together and all married but no children!L to R Ann, Pat, Sue and I

1979 all together all have children children but I am separated from my first DH. 

L to R Ann, me, Pat and Sue

 2009 all together for the last time at Chew Magna. I am married to Peter, Sue is now divorced and has brought her man friend Rob over to UK to meet us. L to R Ann, me, Sue and Pat

2012 July 2 months after Sue has died we had a weekend together with our husbands in Chew to talk about Sue and try and celebrate her life. We cried and laughed a lot and finally went to a garden centre to buy identical plants to plant in our gardens to remember Sue.(that was Pat's idea, bless her xx)  We have now been friends since we met at 18yrs and this yr we will be 68yrs old in September. That means we have been close friends for 49yrs! We really haven't changed just our bodies LOL!!

This weekend I will talk about my close friend  Carol and let you know my favourite love song to finish off this topic