People don’t say ‘friendship goals’ as often these days (that was more of a 2017 thing, right?), but Olive Woodward and Kathleen Saville are worthy of bringing the phrase back.
Olive and Kathleen have been friends for nearly 80 years, and are such great pals they moved into the same care home just so they could spend more time together.
The pair, both 89, met at school when they were 11, sitting next to each other in class at Ravenshead School, Nottingham, in 1941.
It turned out they lived down the road from each other, too.
They quickly became mates and – perhaps unlike the person you swapped friendship bracelets with when you were 10 – stayed in touch throughout the years.
Their husbands both worked at the Coal Board and they lived on the same road in Mansfield all their lives, so it’s been pretty easy to keep close.
Kathleen, whose husband Leonard died in 1989 after a 35-year marriage, moved into Berry Hill Park care home in Mansfield last year.
Olive, who has two grown-up daughters, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, lost her husband Roy in 2004.
She lived on her own in Mansfield following Roy’s death but has now joined Kathleen in the care home with a room down the hall.
The pair, who are two of the oldest residents at the home, now spend all their time together and say the secret to their long friendship is never arguing.
Kathleen said: ‘We are 89 but we look 63. We have been good friends and never fallen out.
‘We are still good looking. We have never argued over anything. She’s a good friend.
‘If I needed her she would always be there. We used to get dates and not turn up.
‘I also used to give them the wrong address, just in case I didn’t like them or want them anymore.
‘We don’t cause any trouble in the home, but we sometimes have to knock the staff into shape.
‘I just raced one of the managers down the hallway for a laugh.
‘I’m so glad Olive is here now, we’re like giggling school girls and we still put on our
lippy and get dressed up.
‘We always say to each other ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it.’
Once again, let me say: goals.
Kathleen, who worked as a supervisor at Mansfield Telephone Exchange, added: ‘I just knew we would always be friends when I met Olive. She means a lot to me.
‘We’ve stayed friends by telling each other what we think and never arguing.
‘If Olive goes first she’ll come back to fetch me. We’re going to be friends in heaven.’
Olive moved into a room opposite Kathleen in the 66-room complex last month.
Olive, who worked as a typist, said: ‘She is jolly and a good laugh and we don’t argue.
‘We are still capable of looking after ourselves and each other.
‘We lived around the corner from each other all our lives so living down the hall seemed an obvious thing to do.
‘I feel very lucky to have my best friend down the hall. We’ve built many memories together and we’re making more every day.
‘When Kathleen moved into the home I missed her and I used to go and see her every Saturday for lunch. Then I thought, why don’t I move in too?
‘If I’m unhappy or in trouble I only have to go to Kathleen and we’ll always end up laughing.’
Kathleen married Leonard in 1954 while Olive got hitched to Roy two years later.
Both men worked at the Coal Board in Mansfield together before Leonard died aged 60 in 1989 and Roy passed away in 2004.
Care home manager Sally Tebbett said: ‘The sparkle is still there. They are full of mischief.
‘Kathleen is a proper flirt and has her lippy on every day. She says ‘if you have got it, flaunt it.’
‘Olive is a bit more reserved but they egg each other on.
‘We always love to see friendships blossoming amongst residents, so it was even more special that our care home reunited such dear friends.
‘They never stop chatting and giggling. It’s so endearing, they genuinely love each other and you can see that.
‘Since they have been reunited, Kathleen and Olive have been inseparable, causing just as much mischief in the home as they used to when they became friends 78 years ago.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/05/best-friends-78-years-move-care-home-hang-together-11275654/
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