Happy Birthday John!

Badger and John in Tuscany.

I don’t do Birthday Blogs very often but I have a very special friend named John who I rarely see and who I miss a lot. 

I met him many moons ago and was best man at his wedding - to the lovely Christine.

For one reason or another we have never really been in the same place together for the last 20 years or so. 

But when we see each other it’s just like pulling on an old jumper. We are immediately comfortable and relaxed and he tells me the same jokes he has been telling me since 1968 – and I still laugh. 

Last year at about this time we all went to Tuscany together and had a wonderful time in a tiny little village called Bagni di Lucca. 

We ate wonderful Italian food and drank wonderful Italian wine and toured the countryside. John and Cate spoiled things by cheating at Trivial Pursuit but Christine and I let this pass in the spirit of not spoiling a good holiday.

They are not coming to Europe this but John is going on a four month tour of Australia in a campervan with one of his mates. i.e. without Christine.

Well – at no stage did I say he was entirely normal. Christine is apparently happy for him to do this on the basis that it will the first real peace she has had since they were married. 

I don’t have to see John for him to be my best Mate. I know he will always be there for me (unless he is playing Golf) and he knows I will always be there for him. 

I won’t see him when I am in Australia in August because he will be in a Campervan somewhere near Darwin – and there are limits.

Anyway - it's his Birthday - and he is nearly as old as I am. Shriek!

Happy Birthday Cobber!