28th September - Quote challenge on friendships and other photos

The before we went away we went to a really lovely 50th wedding anniversary celebration of an ex working colleague of Peter's. As we arrived photos were taken of every guest as they arrived and during the evening, we have just got these photos.
Here is my Best Friend for Life - Peter

 

 School Friends
 All though I didn't like school the best part were the friends I made. We were a gang, Judy who still lives in the town but sadly the last few years we haven't met up, I  always seemed to make the arrangements and decided to wait for her which has never happened. I met her aged 8yrs at brownies, 60 yrs ago! Sandra ,who lives in Essex, we still write letters at Christmas but really haven't seen each other since Judy's 60th Party, Gaye who I chat to on FB, she lives in Lincoln and I last met her also at Judy's 60th.

Sandra and Judy with our children in 1977

Pam left to go and live in Canada shortly after my 1st wedding and we still keep in touch. We have visited them a few times when they lived in Vancouver and in latter yers to Gabriola Island off Vancouver island

Pam and I cycling round Stanley Park, Vancouver 1990 

I met my best friend Monica in 6th form and we did everything together, the coffee bars, jazz clubs, parties and she was my chief bridesmaid in 1967 and Mark's Godmother in 1970 but when my 1st marriage broke up in 1978 we seemed to grow apart, she lives in  Bucks nr Slough. I tried writing to her a few years ago but I only get a Christmas card from her each year... Judy seems to have kept in touch though!

Andrew's friend Dave,Monica, Andrew, myself and Monica's boyfriend Dave All Godparents in 1970 

College friends

College is where I met my closest friends Sue, who also emigrated to Canada in BC (she died last year), Pat who lives in Somerset and Ann who lives in Bedforshire

Ann, Sue in middle and myself in the garden of our digs, (note knickers on the line!)

Pat, me and Ann at Peter and My wedding evening in 1985

All of us on Sue's first visit back to UK in 1969

Sue and I on her last visit to UK in 2008

Anne and I at my Silver Wedding in 2010

We really have kept in close contact and can pick up the phone and we are back to the friendship we had at 18yrs old. We try to met up at least 2-3 times a year

Work Friends

I still keep in touch with friends whom I worked with.  Jenn from when I taught at the local Secondary school. She went to live in Cyprus for 6 years so Peter and I spent 2 holidays a year visiting her and her family during that period and on returning to UK live very close to us in Hastings so we do meet up for coffee and chats regularly. She retired last year. Di took my teaching job in 1970 and we became friends from then, I went back to work with her in 1974 and then she had children so we used to met with husbands socially. She is Iain's Godmother.

Di and I at Iain's Christening

Carol was working in the school office when we became friends in 1968. She became my closest friend and supported me when my first marriage finished and then I supported her when her dear husband John committed suicide 3 yrs ago. The four of us used to take holidays together and still remained the best of friends, We  were both only children and John used to call me her sister!!

I do miss her very much now she has another man who she lives with mainly in Wiltshire, though she has kept her home here in Hastings

Aquaintances who become friends

Neighbours for coffee in the mornings became daily friends, especially Margaret who still lives next door but one from our old house. Parents of your children's friends can be come friends through PTA social events, we had a crowd whilst the children grew up were we went to parties and had meals at each other houses (we never went out for meals in those days! Another neighbour Inga and her husband John became close friends during my first marraige and have remained firm friends supporting me through my marriage break up and befriending Peter when he came into my life.

Carol, Inga (wearing the same outfit she wore to our wedding 25yrs ago!) and I in 2010

We now have a group of 12 and each birthday we have a meal together, each couple except the birthday couple bring part of the meal and wine. Tonight is my birthday meal, it is the first Sat we can all be together, except Carol :( Photo tomorrow!!

Scrapping Friends

Before I finish this long blog!!  I mustn't forget some of the lovely peeps I have met since I started scrapping, there would be too many names to mention individually but one particualr group of ladies I have chatted to daily since we did 365 in 2007-8 We have all met up many times at Ally Pally and weekends and for the past 3 years we have a weekend retreat twice a year in Wilts, The group are now called the Crumblies on UKS

 In 2012

In 2013