Friends Reunited

I haven't posted for a while. I could say things have been manic with our impending move to Australia but they haven't really. I mean, we been busy sorting 'stuff' out - ebaying and decorating mostly as well as 'researching' our move on the web, but everything is moving at a nice relaxed pace and seems to be falling into place nicely. Perhaps it's just that, with age, we've become better organisers and have increased tolerance to things that may have caused us to get stressed in the past. Perhaps we're too relaxed and should be doing more before it's too late, who knows?

In the last fortnight we've had numerous e-mails from our most helpful Settlement Officer in Albury, Johanna, regarding schooling for the kids, employment for us both and temporary accommodation. It looks like we're going to be staying in the Albury Motor Village. They've got a website, I'd put a link in if I had the technical know-how but I haven't. It looks nice enough, chalet/cabin style digs. I was a bit surprised at the price - $400 a week. I expected less to be honest but it still seems like the cheapest option for a short term stay.

This last fortnight has also seen me in contact with some 'old' friends. I say friends, one friend really, the other is my old platoon Sergeant from the depot.

He was a really good bloke and I remember him fondly. Old soldiers say that you never forget your platoon Sgt from basic training but most are remembered for being overtly sadistic and egotistical. Not Sgt. J. Lemmon. An absolute top bloke and soldier. Don't get me wrong he was no pushover, he could be as mean as the next man and was as hard as nails, but he had a fatherly, humorous way about him that endeared him to all us recruits.

I was pleased to read that things have gone well for him after leaving the army. It must be tough after twenty-two years as an infantry soldier and drill instructor to suddenly find yourself amongst the rank and file of Civvy Street with no recognised qualifications of any real worth. After a tough start he got himself into the health and safety racket and has never looked back, working all over the globe. He's retiring at 55, in a couple of years. Good on ya John, you got what you deserved.

I also contacted Jon Downie, one of my oldest and best chums. We went to school together, joined the army at the same time, albeit in different regiments, and have been friends forever. We always kept in touch with each other and teamed up whenever we could, which was tricky whilst being based in different garrisons/countries.

Jon left the mob after me and settled in Yorkshire. I visited him a few times there and he came 'home' to Rhyl regularly. On one of his trips home, about five years ago I reckon, we had a drunken fall-out. And, basically, that was it - we stopped contacting each other. Stopped being friends in essence.

I thought about him often but always put off getting in touch. Our row was relatively trivial in the grand scheme of things but still kept us apart. But, with us leaving for Oz in July, I thought I'd try a tentative text message to the mobile number I had for him. I say tentative not because I was nervous about getting in contact with him, on the contrary, I got myself quite excited about it, but because the phone number was from five or more years back. I haven't changed my number since then but almost everyone else has.

I sent the text. Within a minute my phone was ringing - it was JD. We chatted for fifteen or so minutes which is a long time for blokes. We both laughed about our hazy recollections of our drunken dispute.

It was as if we'd never lost touch. I guess that's the result of us having been such good mates. He's coming to Rhyl in a couple of weeks and we'll get together. It'll be just like the old days. He's coming to our leaving do as well.

I knew I could have called Jon at anytime if I needed his help, advice or whatever and vice-versa. It just took something like emigrating for one of us to make the first move. Blokes are stupid sometimes aren't they?