Amusing friendship reminisces

Like all friends, Gary and I have certainly had our downs as well as our ups. I remember back to times when a petty argument would arise from nowhere. Then Gary would call me ‘smelly’, and I’d call him ‘big ears’. I’d hide his lunchbox and he’d chuck my best conkers away. Eventually it would spiral out of control and we’d each end up running home in floods of tears. But sure enough, the next day, one of us would send an email apology and we’d sort it out over a pint.

Ant and I have had a few run ins over the years though, and if you'd asked the 16-year-old me if we'd still be friends 20 years later, I'd have laughed in your face! We always used to fight over the same girls, but I've always had a sneaking suspicion he didn't really like them; he was just doing it to get one over on me. But there was one girl we couldn't fight over. One girl I fancied who he wouldn't dare touch. His sister.

After meeting as toddlers, the friendship between me and Dan has become strained over the years due to the increasing physical distance between us. I went to one high school and he went to another. I moved to the next village, he moved to the next city. I moved up north, he went to Belgium. And yet still we always make the effort to attend each other's important occasions. In fact, since I'm here right now, having travelled thousands of miles to be here, I guess that means I can guilt Dan into coming to my birthday party next month.