I have just read Janis's blog and feel so priveledged to have her as a friend, what luck that her parents and mine lived so close and our Mum's in particular became friends. It would have probably made sense for my sister and Janis to have ended up with the special friendship that we have. When Janis and her family moved to Surrey we continued our contact, through letters and visits, firstly with sister and Mother and as I got older I would travel on the train and be met at Guildford, such a short distance now, but then it always felt such an adventure! Now when I see Jan she really has travelled such a long way!
I have been blessed with some other wonderfull friends. I met Maggie at Sea Rangers when we were about 14 years old and sort of clicked from the begining. I admire Maggie immensley, she had parents who loved her dearly, but life was quite tough. Maggie left school at sixteen as she had to earn a living, she worked in a shoe shop and then as a clerk for the GPO. Maggie saved hard for her own bike and also every penny for our first holiday abroad a ski holiday in Austria. I had a bike bought for me one Christmas and only saved for my spending money on that holiday!
I was Maggie's bridesmaid when she married Cameron and just recently Steve and I along with the boys were at their eldest daughters wedding. It was a lovely day and Maggie has a lot to be proud of, she is a wonderfull mother to her two daughters. Although Steve and I moved to Bedfordshire our families lives have always been close and our children are very close. At the wedding Ian and Matt seemed to take every opportunity to hug the bride and chief bridesmaid but I know the groom understood!!!
Sue is another special friend, we met at Highbury college and we have continued our frienship since then. Its been lovely being able to spend more time with Sue since we moved back to the south coast. Before we left Portsmouth we would see each other reguarly as our first children were born within three months.
I am lucky to have met other people through my life who have become friends. Linda and I met firstly when she interviewed me for a job, she was the teacher in charge of the reception unit where I applied for a job as nursery nurse and was appointed. We worked very closely for four years and had a very good working relationship and our friendship developed. Linda was an inspiring teacher, but left the profession five years ago as she was very dissilussioned and fed up with spending all her weekends and evenings on school work. What a loss to teaching. Linda is now making her mark in the world of IT. Linda has always been such fun and I love it when she comes to stay as we always have such fun!
It sounds really corny, but I am really blessed to have such a wealth of friends in my life. Thank you to you all.....