Friends come in and out of your life, some stay for a while, some you lose touch with, some stay close, some dont, and life moves on........

Anne was my friend for over 25 years and she will always hold the most special place in my life, Anne showed me the meaning of true friendship. We started as colleagues and became the closest of friends, no-one has ever been more of a friend to me than Anne. I just hope she knew how much she meant to me and how much she enriched my life.

Alec and I had fun weekends away with Anne and Richard, when there was never a dull moment, and so much love and laughter, cherished memories that will never fade. 

A true friend is someone who you can sit with and you dont need to say a word, you dont need to fill the silence with words, you are just happy to be together. We shopped together, went to Spas together - Anne has the neatest feet ever! - we went to bingo, we spent time with my daughters - who loved the fact that she sided with them, when Mum was being a pain. We put the world to rights, we moaned about people walking slowly on pavements, or pulling bags through tube stations, we found laughter in the most everyday moments. Oh and no-one loved 'hand sanitiser' as much as Anne, we had the cleanest hands ever when we were out and about!

I let her down sometimes, I was running late or I had to change our plans at the last moment, she never made me feel bad, ever - she was thoughtful and kind and lit up my life in a way that no friend ever has before or ever will again. Anne helped me so many times, and in so many ways.

Its hard to write this with very teary eyes, and I can imagine her giving me a hug and a tissue and telling me to hurry up because we need to go out.

Our friendship will never end, she may not be here but she will always be with me. It was a privilege to have Anne in my life, the lovely, magical Anne, who I will thank every day for being my closest and truest friend.

Janet xx