Fifty

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This week is a startling anniversary; fifty years since I arrived at university as a naïve young fresher. My closest friend from that era and I decided to mark the occasion. 

We opened a bottle of wine. It was, of course, considerably better quality than the half pints of cider we were accustomed to buying in the Hall Bar five decades ago. Goodness me where has all that time gone?

Back in 1976, we had been required to present ourselves on 4th October. As she had arrived suffering from the after effects of a virus, she had skipped dinner and gone straight to bed. On this occasion, with her staying over at mine, I offered to replicate that first university dinner: stew followed by gooseberry crumble, according to my trustworthy diary from the time, and I had specifically noted that neither dish was at all pleasant! In the end I couldn't bring myself to indulge our nostalgic musings to that extent and I hopefully served up something a little more satisfying to our tastebuds. Sadly, although a centennial celebration would be fantastic, I can't imagine our respective retirements extending for another 50 years, so I am not bothering to record the menu details this time around. Suffice to say that it was a great deal tastier than anything that was ever served up during our first year experience of living in catered accommodation.

Deciding how to occupy ourselves the next day certainly required diverting from the historic theme, otherwise we might have found ourselves in a library or lecture theatre not to mention sweaty disco, attending a rock concert or worse still trying to make intelligent conversation at a tutor's house-party.

Incessant rain (a novelty after the summer that's just passed) stopped our original plan of walking and instead we headed to MIMA in Middlesbrough where the shortlisted exhibits for the Turner Prize are on display until March. We ate a late, leisurely lunch in a renowned bistro and then it was time to separate and return to our individual lives.

I guess there was nothing in our little get together to do with our time at university at all, save for acknowledging both a date and an enduring friendship where we still try to meet up monthly and chat in between times. For us it was important to recognise the date by getting together and doing what we have always done, namely talking incessantly. Our roots were entwined half a century ago and although we have both branched out in different directions since than, still being able to reunite remains one of retirement's greatest pleasures.

  


Comments

Treaders said…
How lovely that you've been able to maintain a friendship over all those years! I tried looking up my then best friend recently but as she has a very common name I had no luck! And where on earth did the years go????
9 October 2026 at 09:14
Caree Risover said…
Fifty years and it’s passed, just like that, but family and friends - I guess they’re the basics for life, after food, air and water.
9 October 2026 at 10:52
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