Friends!

As I get older I begin to realise that one of the most important aspects of life is friendship. I am a lucky old man because I have a local set of friends at my bowls club who mean such a lot to me. Every Friday evening we meet and although it is so understated we mean such a lot to each other.

We all have ailments because old age is not for cissies but we battle on and support each other. I am further blessed because I have another set of friends who have a much deeper value as they go back to my youth. You see my new friends generally have all known each other for their entire lives. They know who is married to whom and who was involved with who forty/fifty years ago. I do not have that knowledge but I have another set of friends who remember my youth.

On Monday my longest standing friend is arriving in Loughborough and I am so looking forward to his visit. We first met in 1973 and we have shared so many personal experiences that we are soul mates. He now lives in Granada, Spain but previously he had a house in Sarasota Florida and I was privileged to visit him there with both my wife and son. Prior to that my wife and I visited him in Cyprus when he was a Major in the army.

No doubt we will once again drink too much but we will raise a glass to absent friends and I know that Mick (in particular) Dennis and all our old comrades will be remembered with much affection.

Meantime my new friends are all on a county bowls tour destined for the Isle of Wight and I know they will love it. They will love it because they are all with people that they love and good luck to them! Friendship is so important.