30 years of friendship

30 years ago today I was a nervous 9 year old going back to school after the Summer holidays. I walked in to the classroom and met a new girl. She had just moved to the area and had changed schools so her first day in Year 5 was probably harder than anyone else’s but she didn’t show it. She was shy, quiet and studious and it took us a little while to get to know one another but we soon became friends. Her name was Claire. We left New York Primary School 2 years later and moved to Norham High School together and a few years later we both went to Tynemouth College. You might have expected us to go our separate ways after finishing our A Levels as Claire went to university to train to be a teacher and I got a job in an office but we stayed close. I’m so happy and lucky and proud and privileged and honoured to say that 30 years later Claire is still my best friend. She is the most amazing, courageous, resilient, brave, strong, determined, caring, kind, loving person and is truly beautiful inside and out. She has stuck by me through thick and thin and always supported me, listened to me, guided me, believed in me and accepted me for who I am. I am so grateful to her for being my friend and I love her more than words can say.