Four pensioners who became friends as toddlers are still inseparable almost 90 years later.
Pamela Wright, Mary Betteridge, Freda Jackson and Elsie Marsay first met in 1935 when they were three years old.
The grandmothers, who are all aged 89 and widowed, have kept in touch ever since and still regularly meet up for lunch and talk every day on the phone.
They attended each other’s weddings, holidayed together and have been introduced to their grandchildren and now great-grandchildren.
The quartet, who were born and raised in the seaside town of Swanage, Dorset, put the longevity of their friendship down to “lots of laughter”.
They reminisce fondly about their childhood escapades, including visits to local sea caves where they watched donkeys at the quarry hauling stones. Elsie, a former shop worker, said the four women could talk to each other about anything under the sun. She revealed: “I can go to them and tell them things you could not tell anyone else.”
Freda, a former sales assistant, said: “We can never stop being friends as we know too many secrets!” Mary, who was a tailoress, is described as the “adventurous” one, Elsie the “fashionista” and Freda “is serious but once she starts laughing she can’t stop”.
Of Pam, Mary joked: “She is in charge.”
The friends have been a source of support following the loss of their husbands. Freda said: “Pam’s and my husband died about four years ago so we call each other every night at 7pm.”
Pam added: “It has been hard but we all know what we are going through.”
Between them, their extended family has grown over the years. Elsie has three children, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, while Pam has one child and two grandchildren.
Mary has three children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild and Freda has three children, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
