Hello everyone
Once again this is the international creative writing challenge held monthly amongst bloggers around the world who I will introduce at the end of this piece. This month the subject is Tell Us About Friends and Friendship. Pour yourself a cuppa as it’s a long one!
It is interesting, I chose this theme and yet I struggled with it and wasn’t sure why. Is it because I can get very quickly into the mode of ‘memoir’ writing and looking back at my past, which has been quite fulfilling, even to you I believe, as the last few pieces for Tell Us About… seemed to be well received. But this time, with this theme, I began to write several stories about friends I’d had over the years who I’ve loved and lost, some through just losing contact and some literally, as between us we’ve lost (as in they’ve died) 8 friends, in the last three years, yes, that’s right, 8 people. And I found myself feeling quite sad, and dissatisfied with what was becoming a list of losses, I mean where was I going with this? So instead, I’ve decided to write about friendship generally with a story or two thrown in.
My view is friendship is hugely important to us all, but it does take many different forms: there are people you are just friendly with, as opposed to people you’d share your innermost secrets with, then there are people you see occasionally but still like to meet, and then those who if you haven’t seen for some time (maybe a long time), that doesn’t matter one bit as it’s like you’ve seen them only yesterday. Now listen up, I’m talking about myself and of course, all the people in those categories I’ve set out are, in my case, women, and I’m going to say something about the differences between men and women and friendships (and trying very hard here not to make crass generalisations). Personally, I have a huge network of these different categories of friends and it’s like a fairy cobweb clustered with sparkling stars, some are dimmer, some are bright, some are very near, some are far away, but they are like a small universe, and in the hinterland of my mind, they keep me sustained. I could call on any one of them (well those in the UK!) and say let’s have a coffee! And we’ll talk about everything.
But men? I do think they have fewer people they can talk to (other than their partners) about their worries. Instead (do I dare say) men mostly meet friends because of their interests, such as sport, IT, music, cars, bikes, exercise, walks, politics, books – you name it, they meet because they are at the gym or the political meeting or whatever, but do they talk about their hearts (and I’m not talking heart health)? No, I think they find that tricky. Let’s hope younger generations are brought up differently, that younger people bringing up boys help them to talk openly about their feelings. Of course, anecdotally we all know men who are in touch with their feelings, but I think somehow, men talking the way women talk to each other is unusual. And indeed, you just have to look at the ruling classes, especially the ones at the top of the UK trees, they have their softer feelings bred out of them, and any vestige of inner softer feelings remaining is stripped away when they are sent off to boarding school at ridiculously young ages. There they are instilled with a veneer of confidence, bounce and self-assurance that leads us to the state of the country and world that we are in. We don‘t need that kind of politician, we don’t want that kind of man.
But hey I’m going off piste now, and to return to friendship I give you a couple of stories.
I wonder where my very first childhood playmates are now? I can remember that from an early age we played in the streets and in people’s houses and gardens every day. These childhood memories of how gangs of children roamed around the streets flickered through my mind when last Saturday we watched (unusually for us) an old film, John Boorman’s Hope and Glory, which is about a family living through the Second World War. The story focuses on 10-yr-old Billy playing on bomb sites, and no, although I remember bomb sites, I didn’t do that as there weren’t any near where I lived. But the scenes of him playing in the street, that was my life too. But do I have any photos of that life? Sadly no, but I illustrate my times with these friends with some of the photos I do have.
We lived in Edgware, Middlesex which was a suburb of London in a semi-detached house in a street that had no cars parked outside, which is why it was safe, according to my parents and all the other parents.
The idea of any danger from predators never entered anyone’s head, I know that because much later I asked my mother about this. So, in the school holidays, it was outside you go, and outside we went playing until our mother’s called us in for a meal. My very best friends, the girls I was closest to, were Mary Banham and Patricia Clancy and here are some photographs of what I think must have been a birthday party.
I’m blowing bubbles seated on the right and I think Mary is standing on the left.
I’m on the left and I think that’s Patricia. Note that most of the photographs I have of my childhood are taken outside and that’s because the cameras of those days (my mother had a Box Brownie) didn’t take good photographs indoors. But here’s a photo taken by a professional photographer for the Queen’s coronation party for children in Edgware – held indoors as it poured with rain the whole day!
That’s my sister next to me in the photo, she died in 1999 from cancer. There’s nothing like sisters for friendships and here we are below together.
Sadly, the two very close friendships I had in Edgware ended when we moved quite a way (for a Brit) to a small village called Horsell, near Woking in Surrey, and if I am to do some memoir writing about my life I’ll have to dig deep as I can’t remember exactly when we left, but in the photo below I can see we were there some years.
My mother always pulled my hair back so severely!
But that was a big rift and I remember mourning the loss of my friendship with Mary as despite writing a few letters and a couple of phone calls we did lose touch. And do you know, that seems to be a pattern I have repeated over the years, the losing touch with friends.
However, I think one can see our lives as similar to a book with many chapters, and within those chapters some friendships have lasted through the years and others have drifted away. For instance, there were the friends I made at my school in Guildford especially amongst the gang of girls who travelled to the school by train from Woking. There were four girls I remember that I was particularly close to: Janet, Anne, Janice, and Sue, all of whom I lost contact with. But a couple of years ago, miraculously through Facebook, Janet got in contact with me – how lovely was that! Mind you, we did find ourselves on the opposite side of the political spectrum, which was interesting to say the least, but there on Facebook she is, and it is good to see her there.
Then there were my nursing friends. Nursing was of course so very different then as we trained at the hospital rather than a university. At the age of 18 I was such a pudding and unaware of life and all sorts of things.
Including, I have to tell, you the British class system as there were girls (gells) who were very aware of their place in society – two had been debutantes – and I was rudely awakened to my class when I discovered I wasn’t one of them. That was actually said to me! The thing is our class system is hard for outsiders to understand, it is not a simple thing and while it is not quite like the hierarchies of the caste system it’s not far off it. That, if I may go off piste again, is what Meghan Markle did not understand, you can marry into the Royal Family, but you cannot change it. It is rigidly stratified and encrusted in custom, which is understood by the inner sanctum only, and you cannot modify it, instead you participate and accept or off you go… I could say a lot more on that one, but won’t.
But hey, that is, or certainly was, British life in the 1960s and what a learning curve! I look back at me walking down the King’s Road in Chelsea (the place to be) in the mid 1960s with a 1950s head, and loving it but not really participating in anything earth shattering! And no, I haven’t got any photographs of this time at all. But out of my set of 50 I did keep two friendships going, one until her death two years ago and another I shall see soon in London at the Tate Modern – three cheers for that! When I have my birthday in June that will make our friendship 60 years long!
Indeed, more long-standing friendships came from doing a second nursing qualification, the RMN, (that’s Registered Mental Nurse) in 1971, and I shall see one of those friends very soon, that’s Rowena, and I continue to communicate and hear about several of them through Christmas cards and emails – more about emails in minute. Working together as student nurses in a psychiatric hospital was a very significant experience (think about it, those were the days when hospitals alone provided the care for all mental health disorders – not the community, ha, and ha again) and that became the bedrock of our friendships. It won’t matter that I haven’t seen Rowena for several years – it will be like we saw each other yesterday.
And then marriage and the many moves over the years we’ve made, each of which, with a separate set of friends, like in Penge where we were both incredibly active in our local Labour Party. Then our big move to Brighton and the friends you make as a mum at the school gate – some of whom are still friends and others not. But the best friends I have made recently were all made when we moved to Newhaven, which might surprise some who know that little town as it’s quite run down with very little in the way of infrastructure and cultural activities, and yet if you search there are many outlets for creative thinking and setting up stuff, for example, the community cinema in a fab community centre run by volunteers. Yup these friends are strong relationships and I cherish them.
Last, but by no means least, I also cherish the friends I’ve made through blogging. Yes, communicating with other bloggers, and you, dear readers, has been a simply amazing experience and one I treasure. How I love this community of like-minded women – you are all appreciated so much.
Briefly, to end this long treatise on friends and friendships, how do you communicate with your friends now? Once upon a time I was a great letter-writer and wrote very long letters to friends. But it wasn’t just my writing gene doing this as I pretty much always got long letters back, and what’s more I kept those letters for years. But unlike the aristocrats who have archivists preserving the letters of great families, on one of our moves I got rid of them all. I think I gave some back to the letter-writer but the majority I sadly shredded. Ah well, that’s what happens. Now I adore writing emails and texts to my friends, it’s so instant and rather like my letters, I still write fairly long emails. On the other hand, nothing will be preserved for posterity.
What do you do? How do you communicate with your friends? Do you use texts, WhatsApp, emails? Or do you phone them? To be honest, I don’t really like phone calls, I find them a bit jarring. I’ve got one friend who will only phone as she doesn’t like technology and emails in particular – I’d much prefer the written form. Why? Because I can choose my time to answer that person and gather my thoughts. I just feel so much more articulate when I write. I also like Zooms and face-to-face WhatsApps, but again that’s usually a time you chose. But hey, go with the flow, I guess, everyone is different.
And that’s enough from me, thank you for reading to the end, and now it’s time to introduce you to all the lovely women who are contributing to this writing challenge.
First of all, I want to introduce you to Mary Katherine who writes MK’s Adventures in Style. Click here to see how she reflects on long-friendship gold, friendships lost, and new friendships at midlife.
Then there is Suzy who blogs at The Grey Brunette. Click here to read how Suzy shares stories of friendships over her 48 years, from childhood buddies like Emma to global connections, each one leaving a unique mark on her life.
Marsha of Marsha in the Middle wrote about her golden friends in a post in 2022. She has used parts of that post to talk about the definition of friends and friendship. Read all about this by clicking here.
Click here for Jill who posts on her blog Grownupglamour. She explores the changing nature of friendships throughout our lives and the importance of friends as we age.
Then Debbie of Debs World is sharing a story from a few years ago, all about friendship and making lifelong friends in the world of blogging. Click here to read her post.
And click here for Gail’s of Is This Mutton who says it’s not aways easy making friends in later life. But she has some ideas on how to find your next BFF.
Finally Sue who blogs at Women Living Well After 50 says friendship has no age barrier. Click here to read why ‘Age-Gap Friendships’ are a vital part of Ageing Well.
That really is all for now. Thank you so much for reading to the end.
With love, Penny, the Frugalfashionshopper
Well, look at us, keeping vaguely and intermittently in touch after the school gate bit, then building our friendship into something stronger and deeper. Great stuff! So glad!
My longest-fruendship is with Su whom I met at uni in 1961, apjust before covid a few years ago I met up with Diana who was part of a friendship trio when we were in our teens. (sadly, Gaby who was the third one died a couple of years ago).
Di and I met for lunch in the City Nd only stopped talking when the cFe threw us out so they could clear up for evening service. And then there’s another much loved friend who started in a professional relationship about 40 years ago, quickly became a friend and is coming today with her husband to stay for a couple of. Nights. And a coaching colleague who paired with me to practice coaching skills over 20 years ago. We met for lunch yesterday to hand over a large plant for her christmas present! I speak separately for more than an hour with both of these two.
And as to men- Leo is off for a monthly coffee with two local guys whoshare political and social interests, but nothing intimate, as you observe. We share those with a couple, so that fourseome is specially precious. We’ve know. Each other since our kids were in their teens.
So …. much valued all in different ways, our love to you both being your lovely selves who share attitudes and understandings and explore life the universe and everything wth us in such a great way. Xxxx much love xxxx W
Oh Wendy, yes, indeed, it has been great getting to know you all over again and indeed we go back a long way and of course I also remember your mother very well. We love meeting up with you and may that happen many more times!
It was a great theme (says me as I chose it!) but it was interesting how I wrestled with it to begin with and wasn’t sure where I was going. Seems to have sorted itself out.
I agree it is so good to share attitudes and explore issues – there are so many to discuss these days. Speak soon, my friend xxxx
A very interesting post Penny. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who lost contact with old friends. I got back in touch with many of them via Friends Reunited and FB, but they fizzled away. I didn’t know you had an association with Penge. I lived in nearby Crystal Palace between 1988 to 1993. I love your description of friendship being like a fairy cobweb dotted with stars. Great prompt!
Isn’t that just the best description?!?!? I thought the same thing, Gail.
What a lovely story. And great photos! Funny thing is that yesterday I went for lunch with a girlfriend. And Gerben asked, when he got home, how het husband was doing. They are both good friends of us. I said, you can ask him yourself, and Gerben said, no men don’t do that. Lol.
Oh my word, Gerben saying that! It was an interesting theme indeed. Thanks so much Nancy 🙂
Thanks so much – these themes are always so thought-provoking and so well worth the effort. You were a genius to initiate it. Fancy you living in the Crystal Palace area, I know it well as I’m definitely a south Londoner or should that be ‘sarth’ London?! We’d left Penge by the time you were there – we moved from Penge to Brighton in 1982.
Friends are precious – I am so very glad I met you through blogging. Feeling better but the scar on my arm is still sore so think the weather and indeed everything will be good by April.
Thanks again for the kind words re: the prompt and the ‘fairy cobweb’ 😁
Hello, Penny
Like you and your www friends, I really value my friends, as does my husband. Sure, there have been sad losses along the way – I dread delivering more eulogies – but, when one door closes, another opens or, as my mother would say, nature abhors a vacuum. And so it has been with us. A few years after our dearest friends had passed, we met another couple by sheer chance, who are now just as dear to us. Possibly a good test of friendship is going on holiday together. We did that with G&B, twice a year to Portugal (and elsewhere) for over 20 years and had truly great times. They were the best of best friends to the extent of offering to help during straightened business times with no thought of any consequences. Fortunately, such help never became necessary, but it showed us the depth of their care and I like to think we repaid their kindness by having them live with us when they were between houses for a long time. Unfortunately, health problems limit our new(ish) friends from travelling too far, but we can still enjoy short, easy trips – and long conversations! And would you credit it, they live close by where our late friends lived! It’s as if it were meant!
Several years ago I was ‘adopted’ by an American lady during an Atlantic crossing and that too has become a close friendship I cherish. And J&N have been our buddies for almost 60 years!
But, my bestie, my soul sister as she terms it, is J. We’ve been BFFs since we were four and as we both hit 84 in a few weeks, you do the maths! Emails, phone calls and photos whizz back and forth every week with grown-up children also keeping in touch and including us in family get-togethers. Family-and-friends: to me, one of the loveliest phrases in the English language!
And like you, Penny, I enjoy the company of many of those who comment here. I find myself looking out for their input and wonder how they’re doing if they’re absent for a while. The internet has a lot to answer for, but used sensibly it can be a wonderful link between like-minded (or not!) people who would otherwise have missed each other along the way. So thank you for your blog and the chance to meet some lovely people and share experiences, thoughts and laughs.
Zepherine x
You’ve got such a great attitude Zepherine (and a fabulous name) and I do love the fact you were ‘adopted’ on an Atlantic crossing. I’m thinking of doing the same, doing a crossing at some point – was it Cunard? Think the Cunard ships are made for those crossings. I definitely don’t fancy an Atlantic crossing in cruise ships with tall straight sides and lots of balconies!
The internet and indeed all social media is a reflection of society and people, used sensibly and wisely it is a delight especially in listening to people’s views and learning about their life and culture, and hey you can also make friends with people who live far away, which is so positive and uplifting – why wouldn’t one do it? It is so good to read people’s comments, especially on these themes.
Thank you Zepherine for being part of this lovely community of women – you are very much appreciated X
I LOVE this post, Penny! What marvelous photos you have. I am fascinated by your explanations of the British class system – yes, we Americans have NO clue. As I bashed my post out last night, I totally forgot about my new class of online friends – through blogs and Instagram. I’ve only met one in person, but hoping I get to meet the rest of my favorites when I can do more travel – and you’re on my list now!
Ohh wow, Mary K I’d love to meet you! Just let me know!
And especially for you I trawled through old posts on My Other Blog for a piece I did on the British/English class system which is still very much a thing here. I wrote it a long time ago when David Cameron resigned (shortly after losing the Brexit vote) and this was me angry at his stupid Honours list, but of course since then there have been far worse examples of those ‘lists’ – Truss and Johnson’s lists have been very controversial.
https://myotherblog.co.uk/theres-class-classy-and-the-downright-not-classy/
Poor Meghan Markle – she had NO idea what she was getting into! Our press was very unkind too, in fact they were ghastly. Harry is beavering away suing them for how they treated both him and Meghan and winning.
I love reading your posts, Penny, because I feel like we’re sharing a biscuit and a cuppa! You write in such a way I’m right there with you. I think you are right about men and their friendships. My husband had a good friend all through his teen years. They played Best Man at each other’s weddings, but they lost touch after a few years. Even now, he doesn’t refer to other men as friends but as men he worked with. Strangely enough, he’s found a friend in our new neighborhood and does share his feelings with him.
I echo MK’s thoughts on the British class system. I know there is one, but the ins and outs of it are a little confusing to me. I love it when you write about these things.
I seem to see a common thread in all of our posts…friendships change for one reason or another. And, then there are those select friends who you may not see for years and pick up right where you left off. That must be the way of it for women around the world.
If I make it to the UK this fall like I hope, you are one of the people I truly hope to meet!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Oh wow, Marsha, we could meet in London, no problem. That would be so nice!
Glad you liked this piece and yes, our thoughts seem to be very similar on this subject – it was good to think it all through.
And just for you and Mary K here’s a piece on My Other Blog I wrote years ago, but still relevant. I mean it’s not quite as bad as it used to be in the past with feudal lords and ladies and their servants and not much in-between, but it is definitely still a thing in our society.
https://myotherblog.co.uk/theres-class-classy-and-the-downright-not-classy/
Dear Penny,
i popped over from Jill’s blog to see what this was all about. As a woman, and one “of a certain age,” I am intrigued by women’s friendships. To me, it seems just a bit easier now to form relationships with other women, and that is due to maturity. So many younger women, at least here on the other side of the pond, are threatened by other women whom they perceive as secure and confident. The less-than-sure ones caused me more than a few problems in work situations; and needless to say, curtailed possibilities for friendships. Over the years, I have had closer relationships with men. One of my closest male friends is someone I met in first grade in Catholic school; he is across the country, and we communicate with very long emails. I have been blessed over the last few years with new friendships with women, which is something new and wonderful to me. As to your post, I enjoy reading about the English and their viewpoints and experiences- the language, the countryside, the class structure, the sense of humor, are all fascinating to me. And you are kinder to Miss Markle than many folks over this way – she is largely regarded as a conniving, manipulative, whining (or as the Brits would say, “whinging”) publicity seeker who will cause poor Harry to lose any hope of a relationship with his family, if she has not done so already. If you write about that on the “Other Blog,” I would love to read it. So happy to have discovered you, Penny.
Hi Judith – and thank you so much for coming over to this blog. It’s always so interesting to hear about the culture of other countries especially the one over the pond! I guess work is a challenging place to make friends when it’s corporate and/or business, not so nursing, (in my time anyway) as you all went through life changing experiences of witnessing births, deaths, operations, you name it we experienced it, consequently even after many years that is the bedrock of our friendships. Glad you are making friends with women now 🙂
Oh poor Meghan – she had no idea! And our press was truly awful to her – note the press is all owned by hugely wealthy and very establishment figures. My experience (which was a long time ago) tells you that at a certain higher level people really do recognise that you are not ‘one of them’ – all to do with schools and parents and btw, nothing to do with money. Thing is the Royal Family is not only the pinnacle of our exceedingly triangular stratified society, it is a world of its own. Women (and men) who marry in to it just have to conform, there’s no changing it, or bringing it up to date, apart from very small incremental changes. There’s so much more that one could say but if you haven’t already read it – here’s what I dug out of My Other Blog on class https://myotherblog.co.uk/theres-class-classy-and-the-downright-not-classy/ so basically I’d say Meghan is right to winge, same with Harry, and I was always on their side, but at some point they do need to move on.
Thanks again Judith – it’s great to meet you 🙂
Your post today brought up so many memories Penny. The days when a kid could just go outside to play, no arranged playdates or supervision. In my neighborhood there were mostly boys, there was Dorothy on the corner but I do not remember her being with us. I made a close friend, Sandy, in elementary school as we bonded on our mutual obsession with horses. My closest adult adult friend, Elsa, died two years ago. She was the one I could talk to about anything. There are days even now when I think to myself I need to talk to Elsa, but of course I can’t. I have a close friend of over 40 years whom I met when both of our daughters were taking horseback riding lessons. Even today she helped me wrestle Linus my large cat into a carrier for a trip to the vet. We have traveled together in previous years. to the UK and Scotland, to Ireland and many local places. Unfortunately, in recent years she has become very MAGA and this does limit what we can talk about. I feel like I am walking on eggshells a lot of the time I am with her. I have become close with a neighbor who went to college with me. We knew each other from school but became closer while planning out 50th! class reunion and even more so when she moved right in back of me. We do have similar political views and values. In 2019 we did a Baltic cruise together. Right now I have a group of 5 other women about my age and we go out for dinner regularly, and before covid to various cultural activities. Hopefully we will start doing this again. Then there are the friends I meet through a group for retirees which hosts lectures and cultural events and occasional trips. My college friend and I were part of a group of abut 10 if 12 if us and we would meet a few times a year for lunch. The group over time became smaller, then we would just meet on Zoom. This past year not at all. Oh Dear,, this is becoming depressing! Well I am still around. So maybe now pop over to the other bloggers to see what they have to say on the subject.
Love, Darby
I’m glad you enjoyed the theme, and yes, it is amazing to think how children played in the street as though it was their own home. I think it was the absence of cars that made it possible, now it would be challenging to say the least. I’m sure some children do still play unattended but it would be far fewer than it was just after the war in the very early 50s.
And my childhood friend who recontacted me through Facebook? A similar scenario to your MAGA friend – won’t say any more! I see Gail has written about making friends in later life but she hasn’t as yet come across our situation with friends passing away. But an old friend has just moved to Lewes and that’s so nice. Doors close, says Zepherine, but new doors open. So true.
Thanks so much Darby – I do appreciate your thoughts on my posts – wishing you the very very best from across the pond 🙂
Hi Penny I enjoyed reading your post and the photos from when you were a child. It was all so innocent then wasn’t it? I’ve lost touch with childhood friends and as I’ve aged I’ve become more about quality friendship no matter the age, rather than quantity. Being able to have a special friend you can confide in is precious and I agree that men don’t probably have that same type of friendship. Loved you prompt for this month. x
Hopefully all childhoods are innocent and yes, ours in retrospect seem idyllic but I can also remember other stuff not so idyllic – it was so close to the war, and many men including my father were damaged by it. In fact the 50s always seems to me to be like films in black and white, while the 60s and 70s was a time full of colour – those really were special decades. The playing in the streets was definitely a thing thoug,h which cannot happen now in the way it did mostly because of cars but also more general worries about safety.
Thanks so much Sue, it was pleasure to think of this theme and then write about it – glad you liked it too 🙂
Sadly we too are at an age where serious heath problems are coming for our freinds. Best not to think too much about that – my mum has hardly any friends left as they’re either gone or alzhiemers has them in it’s grips. Terrible things to come with aged friendships.
As for men, I think that’s changing, at least here (in Australia). My husband regualarly meets freinds to kick the footy in the park (and chat) or he runs and chats with different friends. So these men do download their worries and woes. I think it’s a good thing. Mind you, Australia seems to be a massive mental health struggling nation so it’s about time and def needed. Good post #TellUsAbout
I so enjoyed your post Penny , it has also bought back childhood memories of how innocent we were back then . I also smiled at the party dresses and hairstyles , I’ve just been looking through some old photo albums.
I couldn,t agree more about the general male-female friendships . John has a variety of friends but I would be surprised if anything personal is ever discussed.
I do so wish we lived closer as we have so very much in common and share similar views on so much, to say nothing of similar clothing taste. You never know I do hope to return to the U.K. some time , no idea when. We will keep our friendship alive through our blogs .
My mother always pulled my hair off my face so severely, securing everything with clips and hair grips. I’ve got many other photos with my hair scraped back!
Yes, Bill, my other half, really doesn’t have all that many close friends apart from two, one living in France and the other who lives in Spain!
I agree that we can keep in touch through our blogs – and I do feel that I kind of know you well through your descriptions of your life and those wonderful photos. But it was great to meet up 😀
I’m a bit late responding to this because I’m on a long Cunard cruise and Wi-Fi dodgy. I wanted to say, yes Cunard transatlantic on the Queen Mary is great. We’ve done it both ways and Penny, they still have Gala evenings so you and your husband can dress up!
I value long friendships. I’ve known my closest friend for over 50 years, since we worked together, and still have friends from school and one from university. Also new friends made through WI and volunteering. Sadly though, like you, we have lost many good friends over the last few years and painfully, one very dear friend a few days before Christmas , who was 5 years younger than me. I know, it’s all a part of life but a reminder to make the most of every day.
I think I’d like to do a Cunard transatlantic next year as I’ve already got a good long cruise booked with Saga for August (can only do one a year!) and will investigate. What I fancy doing is going across to New York with Cunard, staying a few days and coming back via Cunard. I’m wondering if I can do that.
Old friends are so important, but isn’t it great to make new ones! I found volunteering/organising the Community Cinema has been a very positive experience and one where we have made good friends.
Thanks Lindy 🙂
A lovely interesting post Penny.
I feel very fortunate to have some close friends. One in particular I’ve known since I was ten, I’m now 70. Again it’s various times in my life I’ve met lovely like minded people through Nursing and moving around the country with my husbands job. My hobbies like dancing and walking I’ve met some nice people too.
Thank you Penny xx
I’m not a fan of phone calls either! But I thought I was the only one lol!!! I much prefer writing things down and either texting or emailing. It’s so much easier for me!
Great post—and prompt—Penny!
Hugs
Suzy xx
I so enjoyed joining your for some memories about your friendships, and I especially liked the photos! I do have a couple of school friends that I stay in touch with these many years later, but mostly it’s due to Facebook that we’ve connected – or reconnected, I guess. My high school best friend and I stayed in touch all through the years with phone calls and letter (I was the one who moved away), but it’s ever so much easier on Facebook and Messenger and even email!
I really enjoyed your post Penny and the many friendships you’ve made, happy photos too which tell the story! Thanks for the fabulous prompt and sharing your thoughts with us.