Emma Beddington’s article on the phenomenon of lifelong friends (‘It feels unconditional’: the secrets of lifelong friendships – according to lifelong friends, 8 March), struck an immediate chord. Sue and I met queueing for room keys on arrival at York University in 1968. Fresh from a year in 1960s “swinging London” and exuding cool (or so I thought), I was completely upstaged by her report of working in Italy (Rome definitely trumped London). Lost in awe, I dutifully nursed the lit cigarette that she promptly stuffed into my hand (“Here, hold this!”) as she was called into the bursar’s office ahead of me, and so began almost 55 years of the dearest of friendships – longer than many a marriage (mine included).
After two years of flat-sharing, our careers took us to opposite ends of the country, but along the way we have made space for weekends, festivals and countless brilliant holidays at home and abroad – in later years with combined, multigenerational families (our daughters are now firm friends).
Despite regular texts and lengthy phone calls, we still have enough unsaid to unpick lives and ideas until 4am over a bottle of wine, much as we did when we were 18 – a joy for which I will for ever be grateful.
Anne Haynes
Pocklingon, Yorkshire
