In March 1954 on a day when local elections were being held, another class had to join mine. This lovely little girl with a big bow in her hair asked if she could sit next to me and we became instant friends. We were inseparable from then onwards. Even when we were ill, we used to pass notes to each other back and forth through our mums. I was made to feel a part of her family who were very warm and loving. Like all kids in London at that time we used to play out in the street and on the bomb sites. We used to do little singing and dancing concerts to people in our street and sell glasses of squash for pennies. When we got a little older, we used to buy Red Rover bus tickets for threepence and travel all over London in the summer holidays. We both left school at 16 and although our lives moved in different directions, we still stayed in touch as much as possible, meeting up to celebrate birthdays from time to time. I was so glad to be able to say goodbye to her. She was a lovely, kind person and I shall miss her greatly and remember her fondly always. Lots of love, Pat xxx