BFF

It was so unbelievably wonderful to hear from Gail and to be called, 'my dear little Joanna'. Gail marked to turning point in mt life - she knew about the real world beyond India and she had had a boyfriend! So glamorous to the then 12 year old me. This all took place just after Desla had painted the portrait of innocence.

You can see why he wanted to paint it when you look at the 8/9th grade class photograph. With our super short mini skirts, ironed hair and borrowed make up we stood tip top on the threshold of young
   womanhood - eager to get out there and find out destinies.

Trincas on a Sunday afternoon was the place to be - 3-7 - four hours of non stop dancing and ogling the band boys. BY now I was truly, madly deeply in the throes of the crush on Peter Yeti - he eventually went out with Lori - far right, second row. The friendship really didn't survive that .

In between all this rush to be older we were, like so many little girls, dotty about horses and would spend hours at the stables feeding them carrots and  taking our lessons at the ungodly hour of  6 o'clock. Gail was a natural horsewoman and soon moved away from me and the beginners.

We became involved with the Alford brothers - two successful and Ivan who could not help but always to try and find the angle that would make him money - he eventually married Peter Yeti's sister Jean and really did live happily ever after. The there was Richard Haslem - Gail's fella.  It was also very innocent but our parents found that hard to believe - so we were grounded. But we were still allowed to sleepover at one another houses.

Before

We climbed the drainpipe at Lori's by knotting sheets together - Enid Blyton had her uses-  unscrewed the bars at Gail's. bathroom window and managed to wake the cockerel and the Durwan on our return in the dawn's early light t. I had been kissed/mauled for most of the evening and ended up with a beesting pout and several love bites. My mother said very little other to than to box my ears and then take me to the hairdresser where she said, "Cut if all off,". I cried but to no avail  and my hippy street cred soon lay about me as did my dreams.

A Puri Holiday where Gail and I slept under the stars and let the sea lull us to sleep

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