It was only the other week that I suggested to Martin that we get together with Johnny for a farewell drink. “There will be more than one”, was his reply and tonight was the first of many.

It always surprises me that we don’t get together more often, he only lives around the corner from us but sometimes that’s the way things work out.

So, armed with beer and wine (and after saying goodbye to a rather forlorn Richard who was missing Boys Night) we headed down the road to his house to catch up on news (seems that everyone has been to the new Caribbean shop in the road and even sampled the goat meat on sale there); learn about some of the shadier pubs in the area (amazing what you can see for £1 apparently); eat dolmas and salami; drink wine, beer and gin and squirm as Kate told us what she had sewn up on the fourteen hour shift at the hospital which she had just returned from.

I wonder what the next farewell will bring …..