Wednesday 27 March 2013

Happy Birthday Carol

Happy Birthday Carol


It's Carol's birthday today, she is 64. Carol is my very bestest friend, we have know each other since we were in junior school together. This picture is from her 60th birthday party, I can't believe that four years have flown by so quickly. A reminder that we must all make the most of our lives.

We have each gone our seperate ways over the years, taking completely different career paths. When we were little girls people thought we were sisters because of some similarities, both skinny, both blonde, and both wore specs. Carol lived in the next street to me, but we were constantly in each others houses. There was a big green area which we used to play on, it was very quiet then, not many people had cars. Summer days were spent going bike rides around the lanes, and paddling in the river. Her mum and my mum were friends, she is the eldest of three and so am I.

Carol on the left, with my penfriend Janet who came for a holiday in August 1964.

We went a bike ride. Far left, my sister Anna, she was not happy as mum said we had to take her with us. Next Janet, don't know who the middle girl is, then Carol and me. This photo was taken outside our school, The Forest of Needwood Secondary Modern School. Neither of us managed to pass the 11 plus for the Grammar or High School. It was August 1964, the year we walked out of the gates for the last time. I was elated, now I could go out into the world and find a job. Carol continued her education with a year at college, she went on to do secretarial and book keeping work. She has made a good career for herself as an accountant, and unlike me, a lady of leisure, she is still working part time because she enjoys it.
Last year Carol made a suggestion. It will be 50 years next year when we left school. What about organising a reunion for 2014. I thought it would be too big a task, people will now be scattered all over the world. Lately I have been mulling it over in my mind. With modern technology and all the social networking sites, a lot of the work could be done on the computer. I think we should have a go at it. Wouldn't it be marvelous to catch up with school mates fifty years on. I have lots of ideas to search for people, and we have over a year to organise it. I think it should be doable, and quite exciting.

This is a pic of Carol taken a couple of months ago. She was at a family wedding in Hawaii. Sorry it's a bit blurry, I cropped it from a larger one. I am so pleased that she is on a mission to look after her health. She has changed her diet, cut the crap, and now eats lots of healthy food. Carol, I'm proud of you, you're a star.

Happy Birthday me old mate. I shall be joining you in a few weeks time, ha ha. Sixty four eh, yikes, it's scary. Toodle pip.

19 comments:

  1. How lovely. I'm still friends, albeit not constantly seeing her, with my best friend from Junior school. We didn't see each other for many years and then met up in, where do you think? A charity Shop. She recognised me but I'm afraid I didn't her until she said, as she'd put on a lot of weight with having back trouble. Her face is the same. Funnily enough, we found out I was working with her ex husband!

    You haven't changed. That's a lovely picture of your friend at the wedding.

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    1. Hi Campfire. I don't think I would recognise many of my school friends if I saw them. I have an autograph book with many of the names in, and my diaries, so that's a start.

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  2. Happy Happy Birthday Carol!!!
    May you enjoy many more birthdays, and continue to enjoy Ilona's friendship.
    Best of luck to you Ilona with your reunion project, I know you will do a great job.

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  3. Best of luck with your reunion...your friend sounds lovely and I wish her many more happy birthdays.

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  4. It is lovely to have a lifelong friend.

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  5. Good evening Ilona from House fairy

    Happy Birthday Carol

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  6. From Nancy in Northern California ~ What a great story (and pics) of Carol. I have known my friend Peggy since the age of 4; growing up on the same street and going together to grammar school. Unfortunately we live 2600 miles from one another because I relocated years ago from upstate New York to California. But we have always kept in touch in one way or another. And Fall of 2014 we are having a 50th grammar school reunion and Peggy is organizing it. We are finding people on Facebook and through the website White Pages. They are thinking of having 3 events over a weekend to make it worthwhile for people who will be traveling from far away. I have never been to any school reunion but am so excited about what is being planned for next year. Have you been to any school reunions? Thanks again for the great post, Ilona.

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  7. Hi Ilona, I look at your blog every day. Realised from a few of your posts and certainly from the one tonight regarding the school at Barton you grew up locally. I'm from Burton! Very familiar to you, I think! Thanks for such interesting and motivating posts. : ) Louise

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  8. I also wanted to say happy birthday to Carol. People come in and out your lives, some stay. I have known my best friend since the age of 4. I'm 43 and very lucky! : )

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  9. Ilona, I hope you do have your reunion. I've been to 4 class reunions, several years apart, and a reunion of office people at a place where I used to work. It's fun to see how people have changed and to find out what they've been up to. Our class of 25 people has dwindled down so that we're inviting friends and relatives to pad out the list. People get sick or die, so don't wait too long. I have a few life-long friends, too. They are the best. Keep us posted on the reunion.

    Maggie







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    1. Hi Maggie. I will keep you posted. I'm going to make a start by contacting the school, and the local newspaper in the area. Then going through my diaries and autograph album. I know a couple of shop owners who will put posters up for me. I think it will be an exciting project.

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  10. My best friend turns 60 this year and it's also the celebration of 50 years of friendship! Which I think is amazing!
    And happy birthday to Carol, hope it's a lovely day :)
    Judy xx

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    1. That's exciting Judy, will there be a party to look forward to?

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  11. Happy birthday Carol :-)

    Toni

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  12. What a wonderful tribute, and I love those old photos! Please post some more of your earlier pics in the future, Ilona, I would (and I'm sure many other readers would too) be fascinated to learn more about your past :)

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  13. Lovely stories of friends keeping in touch here. Thank you for sharing.

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  14. Hi Ilona,
    I enjoyed reading this post about your friend. In 1964 I was Beatles crazy, and I often thought about what it would be like to live in England. I have a friend that I've known since I was a baby. We are in our 60's now and are both retired. We hadn't seen each other for about 20 years, then I went to visit her a couple of years ago. It is so nice that no matter how much time goes by, we are the same girls we've always been; laughing and talking like always. Martha from Kansas

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  15. Beverley from Calif.. here: I stay keep in touch with my longtime friend of over 50 years. We were also Beatles Crazy and saw Hard Days Night together. We both still live in Calif. She in the southern part of the state and myself in the northern part. The other day while at the store I saw a 50th Anniversary Beatles magazine and was tempte to buy it. But I looked through it and realized I still have a lot of the same photos in a Beatles scrapbook I made in the mid 60's!

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  16. Good for Carol looking after her health 💗.. how is she than alreet i hope she's WEll xx how lovely you've been lifelong friend's that's amazing true friendships are hard to come by ilona,,

    all the best
    Levi x

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