This is the year when my old school friends reach their 60th birthdays. I reached mine first a few months’ back, and it’s interesting to see how other friends’ lives who were in our little ‘gang’ at school have panned out as they cope with this great milestone. I have kept in touch with all the ‘gang’ since our last day at school in June 1976.
I shall be going to a 60th birthday party on 19th May after the Bloggers’ Bash for one of my friends, who seems to have hardly aged at all. Tall and willowy, she never married, but still loves to dance the night away at any over 40s disco she can find. She works in marketing, and long ago gave up ever finding a life partner. She is happy enough on her own in her South London flat and is quite set in her ways now, but I think she still carries a torch for the father of her 38 year old son, a nasty piece of work who rejected his son many years ago.
Another friend of mine was always very overweight at school. After she left home she commenced a regime of healthy eating and shed half her body weight. She secured a top level job, married a hugely overweight guy high up in the insurance business, and started him on the same diet! They never had children, but are now retired and live near Cheltenham, are very wealthy, and travel all over the world. She’s enjoying life at 60, and in fact is coming to stay with me at my ‘van’ in July. We shall laugh a lot…
Another of our gang (whom I dedicated ‘For the Sake of a Child’ to) succumbed to Huntingdon’s disease about 3 years’ ago. We visited her in her nursing home for years. Her mother died of the same disease, and she purposely never married or had children due to this reason. She always perked up when we came into the room. Her brain was perfectly normal, but by the time she had reached her late forties/ early fifties, the disease had robbed her of her mobility and speech.
There’s another one who married at quite a young age. After a year her husband told her he didn’t want to be married anymore, and left! She married for a second time and this marriage has lasted, producing two children. She works as a ‘dinner lady’ at her local school in South London. Her son went to University to study engineering, and her daughter works with horses.
One friend became pregnant at 15, and it was quite a shock at the time! She disguised the pregnancy for as long as she could, but then left school hurriedly. Our headmistress at the time gave us all a lecture on the dangers of pre-marital sex! My friend went on to marry the father of her baby, and eventually had 4 more children. The marriage lasted, and she has always been a contented stay-at-home mother.
There we were back in the 1970s, giggling schoolgirls all of us. None of us knew what the future would bring. Perhaps, thinking about it, it’s better not to know.
tidalscribe said:
I’m glad the girl who got pregnant at 15 got to marry her chap, I hope thta include keeping the first baby. I have tow friends who had to get married at sixteen and stayed happily maried, gwetting to beg very young grandmothers!. It is sad when a baby is taken away and its parents get married and have more family – a family the first child shopuld have been part of. I’m sure we’ll all look forward to hearing about the reunion. I had a ‘no bus pass, no pension yet, no presents please’ invite everyone all day drop in for my sixtieth.
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes she kept the first baby, who must be about 45 by now. Happy sixtieth to you!
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dgkaye said:
Wow, sounds like a fun bunch of hens. Thanks for sharing some of your friendships. 🙂
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Jennie said:
Wonderful. Just wonderful! I have the same group of friends, in our later 60’s. The best!! Have a blast at the B.B.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks Jennie.
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Jennie said:
You’re welcome, Stevie.
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franklparker said:
Well, I’m going back to my old boarding school for a reunion lunch on 1st July. It will be 60 years since I left at 16 with 6 ‘O’ levels to start an Engineering apprenticeship. I lost touch with most of my contemporaries for many years until someone contacted us and started a Google forum where we interact with all kinds of news and views. They are scattered across the world – South Africa, Central Africa, Phillipines, Hong Kong, Canada and nearer to home in France, Scotland and various parts of the UK.
They became teachers, Engineers, building inspectors, ran their own businesses in all manner of professions.
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Stevie Turner said:
Wow. Enjoy the day, Frank. What a good school you went to!
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Darlene said:
This why I love social media. A great way to reconnect. It will be a great reunion.
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robbiesinspiration said:
What a lovely post, Stevie. I love hearing about peoples lives. I have your book For the Sake of a Child as an audio book and look forward to listening to it.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks Robbie.
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Stevie Turner said:
Yes, we started off still going to discos every month or so, then when the knees and backs began to ache we still met up for lunches and dinners. It’s nice to still know people who knew me when I was a child.
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Darlene said:
It’s so nice that you kept in touch with your school friends. Life can be funny but it’s what you make it. Most of my friends are on their second or third marriages. Some have passed away, sadly. We are all spread out around the world.
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watchingthedaisies said:
60 is a big milestone Stevie. My two sisters will be 60 next week. We are celebrating as much as we can!
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Pingback: 60 Glorious Years – The Militant Negro™
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for sharing.
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Kazzmoss said:
I loved this and it promted me to reblog it with a short piece of me turning 60 last month.
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Stevie Turner said:
Welcome to my world!
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Pingback: 60 Glorious Years — Stevie Turner, Indie Author. | The Magic of Stories
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for linking up.
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ksbeth said:
I turned 60 last November and am in a very happy and peaceful phase in my life- hap birthday to my fellow 60s )
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks. Me too.
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