I think I may have lost all my followers as I’ve been less than prolific around here of late but I only have 15 posts to write before I get to a grand total of 500 in the bank, and with any luck I’m going to complete them just ahead of this blog’s 10th birthday at the start of 2026. I’ve had plenty of inspiration of late but once you lose momentum in the world of “web logging”, it’s hard to get started again. Only one way to find out just how hard…
Have you had a good summer? I certainly have and a lot to do with the effort I’ve put in to catching up with old friends. When I say old friends I really mean that, as some I hadn’t seen for over 40 years. I also did this back in 2015, the year before I started this blog, but back then I didn’t track down the more elusive ones, so this time I was going for broke. Since 2015, both my cousin and one of the old flatmates have died, so if you’re thinking of metaphorically picking up the phone anytime soon, don’t put it off a moment longer.
Some famous fictional groups of friends
I first went to Edinburgh to meet up with my old flatmate and her sister who always come up for the festival. She has featured here before, standing with me outside our first flat in Aberdeen, and as I also spent a week in The Silver City (it’s the radioactive granite that gives it that name!), I had a trip down our old street to see what had changed. The photography has got better, that’s what, plus the fence has gone. Weirdly, the cracked path is showing the same general pattern, it’s just got 45 more years of wear and tear. And, the door is now blue.
Number 18, 45 years on
But the meet-up that was the most long awaited was the one with the girl I sat beside for most subjects between the ages of 12 and 16. She was the smartest girl in our year and because of her smarts she was railroaded into doing Medicine at university. For two weeks we resided in the same hall of residence, but it was only two weeks because at the end of that time she realised that Medicine was definitely not for her and promptly left. After that I didn’t see much of her but she became a successful accountant and we continued to exchange Christmas cards from opposite ends of the country. Funnily enough she is one of the few people in the real world who know about this blog as every now and again we text each other if a Bay City Roller has died, or if something momentous has happened in the world of early ’70s pop music, as we had both been forensic in our approach to following the charts back in those days. Needless to say, the meet-up after 45 years apart was such a joy and all the old stories about our schooldays came tumbling out. We will do it again for sure.
But this is a music blog so what song should I share? I actually did a search for songs about friendships and this one, In My Life from 1965, jumped out at me. I particularly like the video showing the young whipper-snapper Beatles as the best of friends, something we sometimes forget. As it says in the website, The Forty Five, “With A Little Help From My Friends might be the obvious song in their canon about friendship, but the true tearjerker is this sepia-tinged offering that looks back at a life and those that have meant the most throughout it.“
I am loving my current life, but I’m so glad I still have all these friends from the past in my life too. This blog may be A Nostalgic Journey Through The Tracks Of My Years, but this post has definitely been A Nostalgic Journey Through The Friends Of My Years!
Until next time…
In My Life Lyrics
Song by Paul McCartney/John Lennon
There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more
What's It All About? 
You’re right. The Beatles were pals, though not necessarily all the time. Ringo and Paul are still great friends, I think.
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Paul and George were definitely schoolfriends and sat next to each other on the bus every day. Everyone liked Ringo as he was the best drummer in Liverpool, and they thought he would fit in with the group better than the first incumbent, Mr Best. John certainly looked as if he was having fun with the lads in the early days but there was always something about him that made him that bit different. He was older and married for a start, and was of a more artsy persuasion.
Yes Paul and Ringo are definitely still friends and they were on stage together recently.
Thanks for dropping by.
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YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!! ALYSON’S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve tried doing a ‘spot the difference’ look at No. 18. As well as the changes you mention the buzzer is now on the left not the right. You on the other hand haven’t changed at all.
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Let’s hope so. I’m quite good at meeting targets or deadlines if need be and I really want to get to 500 before the 10 year anniversary.
As for No. 18, the front door to the building was always open/unlocked back in the day – same for all such buildings with flats – but now there is always a locked door that you need a key for and a buzzer system for each flat. Changed days. I remember once going home for the holidays and leaving the door to our flat on the latch whilst I carried down my bags. I forgot to then go back and lock it properly as the door was still unlocked when I got back two weeks later. Anyone could have wandered in and made off with the contents! Fortunately I was first back and nothing was missing so I didn’t tell the others what I’d done!
And, kind of you to say but I had mousy hair back then and a round face – still had puppy fat I think. Now the hair pigment has gone and the puppy fat has been replaced by “laughter lines”. Think I’m pretty much the same size though, albeit a half inch shorter!
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Welcome back! And a good song choice too.
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Thanks. Let’s hope I can keep up the momentum.
Not sure if the song is quite the right one for my post about old friends but I just loved listening to it when I was reminded of it. A beauty.
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It’s a happy coincidence that you should mention an anniversary and a Beatles’ song. This year I will hit a birthday milestone between 63 and 65, so I’m wondering whether to work that into a musical blogpost, but a day late.
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I used that song you mention last year when I hit that birthday. Go for it Graeme – a musical blogpost for your special day.
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Some many memories are cemented with Beatle songs. I gave the “Toast to the Bride” to my niece, Lisa, 22 years ago. After the toast, I frantically searched through my IPod for a copy of “In My Life” as that was “their” song and the hired deejay didn’t have it with him. Glad you’re back, Alyson
”I know I’ll stop and think about them”
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Hi Damian – that’s a lovely song for a couple who have just got married. Hope you did manage to find it on your IPod. Sadly a bit too old now for a DJ of today and also for one from 22 years ago it seems.
I have loads of ideas for blog posts so I really want to get back on a roll with it.
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Brilliant to see you back here and what a heartwarming post too – love the photos, and you look so youthful, what a tonic! You’re so right about old friends, we should treasure them, and you all look so happy in those pics. ( I was reminded of this when my dear friend of over 50 years volunteered to take me to Wales when I went to visit my dad – not only did she do all the driving but she was a fantastic emotional support to me as well as perfect, easy company. Absolutely priceless, and something only a true friend could do. How I value that!) I’m always interested to see how streets and houses have changed too over the years, nice to see your No. 18 then and now.
And yes, you’ve got a great goal with the 500 posts mark. Look forward to the rest, good luck!
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That was me, C! Not “glorious… etc”, whoever that is – something to do with WordPress subscriptions I think. Argh, I don’t like it. Will have to figure out how to get my name back somehow….. hmmmmmm
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Hello Glorious! Funnily enough, when I view this blog on my phone you come up as C, it’s only here on the PC the Glorious thing gets mentioned. I’m sure it will be fixed.
I’ll not leave those photos up for long as I’m always afraid people from the real world stumble upon this place. I’ve had a really great time meeting up with all the old friends though so it was the obvious thing to write about. The friend from school was a real joy as we hadn’t seen each other face to face since the early 80s but it was just like old times. I’ve always noticed that if you’ve ever been really close friends with someone, you can just pick up where you left off, however long it’s been. Yes, a real support to have that really old friend head to Wales with you. We are lucky to have these people in our lives.
I have to add however that the blogging community I’ve been part of for the guts of a decade now, have almost become like old friends now too. We’ve met many in real life and let’s face it, I share more here than I do with a lot of people in real life so we do know each other really well now!
By the way my cousin and Auntie P are in those photos too. Auntie P is 90 and is still doing well, living independently and looking great. She told us this great story about how she used to work in this famous hostelry in Aberdeen called The Dutch Mill. They had to wear actual Dutch Caps! Back then it was only men who went to bars after work and if any wives phoned up to ask if their husbands were there they were instructed to say, “No”, even if they were. The staff developed a code though – if the husband was there they replied, “Why no, Mrs Smith”, which was code for absolutely yes he’s here, and is getting very drunk!
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A very positive post, and I’m glad you had a good summer getting back in touch with old friends. So many smiles in those photos. (Yeah, I know, people always smile in photos, but you can tell when it’s genuine.) Hoping to hear more sunshine soon!
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Yes, it’s been great and I was really pleased to hear about your meet-up with your old radio day colleagues. It does take a bit of effort to track down old friends and colleagues but if you do have the nerve to actually arrange a meet-up, it is usually well worth it. I have one or two more to pin down for a real life meeting but will probably have to be next summer now.
More sunshine? As of tomorrow the nights will be drawing in again so not so easy but I’m a pretty positive person nowadays (it’s the meds) so will do my best.
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Great photos, Alyson. You’re blessed with your friendship circle.
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I’m really lucky to still have old friends, old work colleagues, local friends and now the blogging community. Takes work though – you have to keep in touch and see everyone as regularly as you can. As I said above, if you’re thinking of perhaps getting in touch with that old friend you haven’t seen i a long time, track them down and get in touch. Worst that can happen is that you get a knock back but it’s highly likely you’ll have a great meet-up like I did.
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