"The way old friends do"

Have you a friend who makes you smile whenever you think of them. . At our age it’s a sobering thought that many folks known to us have passed on now. Not a smile because they are or were funny. That may be true, but I was thinking more of a smile from warm or happy memories of being with that person…

Some people give out oodles of human kindness and they are to be cherished as much as they encourage us.

I worked with Charles S. for many years. He was advertising manager for the branch of “Grace Brothers” (Debenhams actually) where I worked during 1967 to 1976... Although under constant pressure from everyone from the store director chasing him for the latest advert copy to the sales juniors waiting to collect their point of sale for a new product, he never flustered or showed any unpleasantness.

He had a withered leg and walked very distinctively with a sort of rise and fall gait, He wouldn’t wear the special boots made for him…

During November of 1940 he had been taken on as a sign writer and unfortunately turned up for work to be greeted by a flattened bombed site where a very grand department store had stood the previous day. The Germans bombed Southampton extensively because of its marine & aviation importance.

H Neville Garland (Of Garlands of Norwich) store director was stood in the road arms crossed surveying the scene. A very tall imposing man with a high forehead and white hair. He gradually became aware of my slight friend next to him
“Hmm you look familiar” he said, stroking his chin. ,
Charles quietly said “I suppose you won’t want me now”
“Good heavens, you’re the new sign writer, start immediately, I want signs, lots of signs, bomb damage , smoke damage, quick man, Have to look on the bright side” he checked his watch, then strode off, picking his way through the debris.

Charles did write those smoke damage signs and stayed in the same store for 50 years more, enjoying a long retirement & still smiling when I called to visit him and his dear wife every Christmas.

Re: "The way old friends do"

I have a particular friend who makes me laugh, let alone smile.
I could tell a tale or two about her but won't. Nothing smutty by the way.

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I have 3 friends from my childhood days who always make me smile when I talk to them! Just found one of them from my primary school days on a Govan forum I went onto - also found another couple of folk I knew as well from my childhood.

The one though who makes me smile most is the friend I've had since I was 4 years old when I was in the Rosebuds. We palled it up then and went onto the Speedwells, then the Girls Guildry, we were in the same class at High school and she ended up working in the same office as me!

We all meet up from time to time and we all have a good laugh!

We always laugh at the antics we got up to at the dancing!

Re: "The way old friends do"

I used to have three very close friends. Two of which have now passed on but one remains, thankfully.

I am now of an age (60) where people I know will start to "kick the bucket" gradually over the coming years. That isn't a nice thought but it's the truth. Hell, I'll probably be the first one to kick the bucket!!

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I am blessed to have two very close friends.

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Lovely stories here - it is a blessing to have 'true' friends, even one !

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I thought I had a couple of true friends once , one I chose to be a Godparent to my child,another was a cyber friend .
I opened up to them as you do when you think you have found that special friend . I thought both I could trust , I found out I was wrong .I could never let a friend down .

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There were lots of 'Characters' I had as friends and drinking buddy's over the years, everyone is an actor in the pub whether they know it or not, just sit there and observe, the shy ones, the brazen types, the hail fella well met big spending type, the poets, singers and storytellers, the crankies and the messers, there's always a story to be told and as the late Frank Carson used to say 'It's the way you tell'em'. They are almost all dead now the ones I laughed till my belly ached with. One fella, who had real talent as a voice Impersonator, Michael Byrne was his name, he was over 6 feet tall and there wasn't a pick on him, he could do any male voice, the top politicians at that time, even the landlord who who had trouble with his 'R's' and had spent years in America so he had a half Dublin half New York accent, a hard voice to imitate, but by far his party piece took the biscuit, doing Peter O'Sullivan's commentary on the 1956 Grand National from start to finish for the whole nine minutes, naming every horse, fence, jockey and fallers, It was a flawless performance from start to finish, of course he would have to be coaxed with a few small ones into doing it, if you could try to imagine a 6 foot odd bean pole standing out in the middle of the bar floor with the thundering voice of O'Sullivan getting the crowd excited, great stuff. People used to come from all over the city to hear him, it's a pity it never was taped, he died in 2001, rest his soul.

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One of my dearest friends I have known since we were both ten years old. We were both aliens in a strange land - she moved up North from Downham Market and I moved up from Brixton, so we both talked "funny" to the locals. When I think of the scrapes we got into together growing up into our teens and adulthood I always smile and it's hard to say who was the instigator of the mischief, but we always seemed to be in trouble of one sort or another. We looked after each other though and we continue see each other regularly and I like to think we have always been true friends to each other.
Another very good friend I met when adult about 40 years ago and again we can tell each other anything. We have shared many happy and sad times together over the years. I have other friends, but these two are special.

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I have two friends whom I made at school. We communicate by e-mail from time to time, and possibly see each other every couple of years or so. I have plenty of acquaintances with whom I am friendly, but have never needed close friends. Marrying young, my family have always been the only people I have wanted in my life.