Mo and Julie both grew up in Winchester. The pair became close friends at Danemark School in the mid‑1960s and both worked in local government when they left school. They stayed in touch through their early working lives and for a time, Mo looked after Julie’s eldest child when Julie returned to work.

The friends drifted into different career paths. Julie then worked for the NHS supporting children and then adults with severe learning disabilities, becoming a manager for several supported living sites in Hampshire. Mo went on to manage a printing business for several years.

Despite living parallel lives in the same county, the two eventually lost touch. Until a chance encounter just a few months ago at their local community club in Hampshire. Mo noticed Julie across the room and felt sure she recognised her. After approaching her, the pair realised it had been around 45 years since they had last seen each other.

Since that moment, the friendship has picked up exactly where it left off. The two couples have since met together. Julie says: “Reconnecting with Mo again has brought a great deal of comfort and joy to us both at a time of change.”

Julie lives at one of the Brendoncare Otterbourne Hill Mews retirement apartments in Hampshire with her husband, having moved to the welcoming retirement community near Winchester. She describes her new home and the surrounding community as “a lovely place – very relaxed, no pressure at all. It is quite unique and we are very lucky to live there.”

Mo who lives in Southampton, agrees, saying the reunion has brought back happy memories of their early years and has reminded them how strong friendships can endure, even after decades apart.