[JeweloftheSea]

1958 16-year-old bride and bridesmaid - still friends​

It was 1951, 5th class, Bondi Beach Public School, where I met my long-time friend. As a new pupil, my teacher sat me in a vacant seat next to Shirley. We continued high school together (different classes), and she was my bridesmaid.

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We both now live on the Gold Coast and meet for coffee sometimes to catch up on our lives and laugh about old times. A friendship spanning 73 years. Is this a record?

​

 

[Jarred Santos]

1958 16 year old bride and bridesmaid - still friends​

It was 1951, 5th class, Bondi Beach Public School where I met my long time friend. As a new pupil my teacher sat me in a vacant seat next to Shirley. We continued onto high school together, (different classes) and she was my bridesmaid. We both now live on the Gold Coast and meet for coffee sometimes, just to catch up on our lives and laugh about old times. A friendship spanning 73 years. Is this a record? View attachment 19913

Something I'm not ashamed to admit to being envious of --- 73 years! More than a lifetime, for some @JeweloftheSea! If that's not a record, I don't know what is!

 

[Charliep12]

Hi , myself and my 2 school buddies went to Brisbane state high school, found ourselves 40 years later. After we left school we in 1977, we all got jobs, and would catch up occasionally. In 1978 ,I moved to Melbourne and lost contact with both of them. Ross Mcgregor happened to find me on Facebook and then we got in touch with Peter Demetre who moved to the Gold Coast. I now fly up every 2 years to catch up and reminisce the old times. In the photo I'm the one on the left.
Carmelo ( Charlie) P.

 

[maryfern33]

1958 16-year-old bride and bridesmaid - still friends​

It was 1951, 5th class, Bondi Beach Public School, where I met my long-time friend. As a new pupil, my teacher sat me in a vacant seat next to Shirley. We continued high school together (different classes), and she was my bridesmaid.

View attachment 19913​

We both now live on the Gold Coast and meet for coffee sometimes to catch up on our lives and laugh about old times. A friendship spanning 73 years. Is this a record?

​

Marvellous. I have friends from school days whom I regularly keep in touch with. It is close to 65 years now that year 1959. We may be on different continents but that seems to be of no consequence as we email and now with whatsapp we can chat to our heart's content! We have so many fond memories which we share and laugh about. Oh for those good old days!

 

[Pommyoz]

Went to infant school, and met my buddy, went through to junior school, high school, went to her wedding, but then I emigrated to Australia. Keep writing, lost touch, found again, and I visit her every time I fly over to England. It’s expensive but worth it seeing her smile beaming with fondness. Last visit was a month ago, now saving to return next year. We are 72 and 71.

 

[Penny4]

Lovely story.

 

[Wendy]

1943-2023 My long time friend (also called Wendy). We lived 5 doors apart, grew up together. Went to school, brownies, guides, rangers. When I was 19 I moved away but we still kept in touch. We both got married, had children and still kept in touch. I'm here in Australia now and she is still living in our home town. We are only a few months different in age, she will catch up to me on Thursday when she turns 80. I worked it out that I have known Wendy longer than anyone else still living other than a couple of family members. This photo was taken last June when we went over to the UK for a holiday, as you can imagine we did a lot of talking.

 

[Gsr]

So young getting married, such a pretty bride and bridesmaid. Great that your friendship still endures.

 

[Jarred Santos]

These are all wonderful stories, everyone! If I may ask, how did you all fight against the (human) tendency to drift apart? Is maintaining a friendship something that can be done by only one party? Or does it always need to be a mutual effort?

 

[Wendy]

These are all wonderful stories, everyone! If I may ask, how did you all fight against the (human) tendency to drift apart? Is maintaining a friendship something that can be done by only one party? Or does it always need to be a mutual effort?

Growing up we saw each other all the time, after I moved away and we both got married and had children it became just birthday and Christmas cards and letters. Then when mobile phones, and face book came along we started to communicate more and more. We visit with them whenever we go back to the UK every few years. The friendship never went away, we just got busy with life and family things, now with modern technology we can keep in touch more easily.

 

[Jarred Santos]

Growing up we saw each other all the time, after I moved away and we both got married and had children it became just birthday and Christmas cards and letters. Then when mobile phones, and face book came along we started to communicate more and more. We visit with them whenever we go back to the UK every few years. The friendship never went away, we just got busy with life and family things, now with modern technology we can keep in touch more easily.

It's really touching and bittersweet to read, ' The friendship never went away...' Thanks for sharing, @Wendy!

 

[Thecheesequeen]

My story begins a little later than my school days. I met my friend on the ship bringing us out as migrants to Australia from Scotland (me) and Ireland (her). I was married with a five-month old baby. She was twelve years older than me, married with three children, including an eight-month baby. I had lost my mum at sixteen, and Irene became in loco parents to our little family. She supported me in so many ways, including opening her home to us twice - once when I was recovering from typhoid and once when our rented house burnt down. She taught me everything I know about life, love, faith and motherhood, and I treasure her. It’ll be fifty years next year since we landed in Australia together.

 

[Judy HB]

I just realised as I write this that I haven’t had a good cry yet since I lost my bridesmaid to cancer last September. I’m 64 and we’d been friends since school. Although we only saw each other once or twice a year, both having busy lives and separated by a few hours drive, we would just take up where we left off. She surprised me by turning up at my brothers funeral in 2021, I had no idea hers would be the next one. Her faith was amazing, I know she’s in heaven, but I miss her.
From Judy HB

 

[Pink lion]

These are all excellent accounts to read about long-term friendships. I moved away from homelife at 17 and though I have had many, and I do continue to have many friendships, none have remained close, as we all moved, as time moved on.

Though I do of course have twenty-, thirty-, and forty-year-old friendships, that we maintain by email, I do not have a long-term friend that I have shared constant time with.
My marriage only lasted for four years.

It is however not entirely true that to not have long term friendships is a reflection of a person's character. Life is not the same for us all. Some for instance have remained in depressing argumentative disloyal loveless situations within marriages for life. while others really do live the fairytale.

So, I feel to say that all who have lived a gentle loving supportive life with those that truly care about them are all very lucky.

It's quite amazing how diverse an experience our lives can be.

Even now though closely bonded to many friends, I live in temporary accommodation since the flood and I do expect before years end, to need to relocate, possibly out of this area as there is no affordable housing.

The secret for me to being ok with so much that has been going on these past years especially, is to continue to embrace the new day and what it brings and to always aim to improve my life and to always be the best person I can be.

 

[Mr Chips]

These are all excellent accounts to read about long-term friendships. I moved away from homelife at 17 and though I have had many, and I do continue to have many friendships, none have remained close, as we all moved, as time moved on.

Though I do of course have twenty-, thirty-, and forty-year-old friendships, that we maintain buy email, I do not have a long-term friend that I have shared constant time with.
My marriage only lasted for four years.

It is however not entirely true that to not have long term friendships is a reflection of a person's character. Life is not the same for us all. Some for instance have remained in depressing argumentative disloyal loveless situations within marriages for life. while others really do live the fairytale.

So, I feel to say that all who have lived a gentle loving supportive life with those that truly care about them are all very lucky.

It's quite amazing how diverse an experience our lives can be.

Even now though closely bonded to many friends, I live in temporary accommodation since the flood and I do expect before years end, to need to relocate, possibly out of this area as there is no affordable housing.

The secret for me to being ok with so much that has been going on these past years especially, is to continue to embrace the new day and what it brings and to always aim to improve my life and to always be the best person I can be.

Well said, I too share similar situations and when I look back at people who I loved who passed to a better life and people that I did not try hard enough to retain, it makes me very emotional.

 

[maxesmum]

My dear friend sue and I can’t boast the long time some of you have shared but she’s been my everything since I was 17 years old. She was my bridesmaid,my kids favourite auntie westa and my dear dear mate through every good and bad situation for over 45 years now! We may not speak everyday or even every week but it’s like we just stopped speaking when we start again lol. We drive our husbands nuts because often and often we finish one another’s sentences! A truly annoying habit. She’s moved from one side of Australia to another,divorced,lived in different towns,but our bond has never broken. My life is so much better with her in it.

 

[Ashmenou]

I don’t have any school friends as we moved a lot (almost every year) but have a friend from the 1970s from work. We lost contact for few years,then found each other again through Facebook. She is still my best friend

 

[Micky]

I have a very dear friend that I have remained friends with for 48 years. She lived behind us when we were teenagers. I used to go over to her house just about every night after school as my homelife was not good and I loved being at her place. Her parents and sisters and brothers were lovely and I enjoyed every moment I spent there. Nowdays we don't see each other every week but we will contact each other and go out for dinner every month or so with our husbands who also get on well. We always have a great catchup and are still very close friends after all these years.

 

[Catherines]

The year is 1959 - Val was a classmate in second last year of school; I was a boarder, she a day student. Went over to her home a couple of times in those school years, met her eldest brother and we became girl friend/boyfriend in early 1961. He went to sea for a few years and I migrated to Australia with my family in 1965 but not before becoming engaged to him in 1964.

Due to finances and Australian migration rules at the time he was unable to follow me until February 1967. We married that same September & are happily married to this day. So that’s a friendship with her of 64 long distance Australia/Wales and a marriage this September of 56 years.

Congratulations to all the other SDC members here who are celebrating long friendships. Lovely to hear your stories.

 

[Parrot]

I do have Long Term Friends and even though they moved away a few Years Years ago
We still keep in touch regularly I do miss seeing them but keeping in touch through
Face time/Phone etc . Makes all the difference.