round the middle, but she could walk for hours with her big dog and not get tired, dig in the garden and not feel weak, climb over a fence and not feel unsteady. Her joints got a bit stiff, so she took up Pilates. She felt better; going to class regularly stretched her muscles, strengthened her spine and mobilised her joints. Her chronological age meant nothing to her; she felt years and years younger than she actually was. She didn't even mention the class to the lean one.

The lean one got leaner and began to stoop. She had a little dog. She walked it conscientiously because she was a good owner, but it pulled very badly, and one day hurt her arm. The muscles took ages to heal and were weak (she didn't like doing her physi

Once upon a time there were two ladies who had been friends for most of their lives. They met at primary school, went through the giggles and general insanity of the Teenage Hormone years together, kept the other one sane at their respective weddings and were godmothers to each others' various offspring.

Their friendship was uncomplicated. Sometimes months would go by without one phoning the other; sometimes meetings for lunch were few and far between. But they were always there for each other.

Their respective lives were busy and sometimes complicated, as these things are, but when they met, there were never any reproaches for months of silence. Just giggles and a lot of "Do You Remember…?"

• When you fell down the quarry?
• When we set that hedge on fire trying to make toast like the Famous Five?
• When your Mum chased me with an umbrella?
• When I fell off Jane's pony and it trod on my bum?
• When you convinced me there was a witch behind the dustbin and scared me half to death?

Although they were the same age, they couldn't have been more physically different…in fact they were like Tweedledum and Tweedledee. One was short and square, the other tall, lean and willowy. Both were active in their youth, roaming for miles together on foot or bikes, staying out from dawn till dusk, if allowed; only inside in bad weather. No computer games, no mobile phones, telly only allowed in the evenings. They didn't text each other, they went round to call. They didn't play SuperNintendo but Star Trek and Spiderman, running and jumping all day, never tired and rarely ill.

As they got older and had kids, the short one got wider but the lean one stayed willowy. The short one began to exercise again as the kids went their own ways, determined not to put any more weight on. The lean one didn't bother. After all, she had no problem with her weight.

The lean one was a good cook and a vegetarian. Her speciality was homebaked cakes and cookies, which she loved. She never gained an ounce.

The short one disliked cooking and couldn't bake. But she wouldn't eat junk food because of the rubbish in it, so she developed a short repertoire of easy, healthy recipes and ate fruit for pudding with the occasional chocolate bar.

The short one persuaded the lean one to come to an exercise class. The lean one got very out of breath and her legs ached for three days afterwards. She didn't like the feeling, so she pretended to be too busy to go again.

The short one booked them a riding lesson at a local stables; they'd both been crazy about ponies and had ridden whenever they could as kids. She loved the lesson and immediately booked another, even though she was breathless and sweating.

The lean one said it made her back ache too much…

As more years passed, the short one stayed active. It became a habit. She was still square and slightly wider round the middle, but she could walk for hours with her big dog and not get tired, dig in the garden and not feel weak, climb over a fence and not feel unsteady. Her joints got a bit stiff, so she took up Pilates. She felt better; going to class regularly stretched her muscles, strengthened her spine and mobilised her joints. Her chronological age meant nothing to her; she felt years and years younger than she actually was. She didn't even mention the class to the lean one.

The lean one got leaner and began to stoop. She had a little dog. She walked it conscientiously because she was a good owner, but it pulled very badly, and one day hurt her arm. The muscles took ages to heal and were weak (she didn't like doing her physi

down the quarry?

When we set that hedge on fire trying to make toast like the Famous Five?

When your Mum chased me with an umbrella?

When I fell off Jane's pony and it trod on my bum?

When you convinced me there was a witch behind the dustbin and scared me half to death?

Although they were the same age, they couldn't have been more physically different…in fact they were like Tweedledum and Tweedledee. One was short and square, the other tall, lean and willowy. Both were active in their youth, roaming for miles together on foot or bikes, staying out from dawn till dusk, if allowed; only inside in bad weather. No computer games, no mobile phones, telly only allowed in the evenings. They didn't text each other, they went round to call. They didn't play SuperNintendo but Star Trek and Spiderman, running and jumping all day, never tired and rarely ill.

As they got older and had kids, the short one got wider but the lean one stayed willowy. The short one began to exercise again as the kids went their own ways, determined not to put any more weight on. The lean one didn't bother. After all, she had no problem with her weight.

The lean one was a good cook and a vegetarian. Her speciality was homebaked cakes and cookies, which she loved. She never gained an ounce.

The short one disliked cooking and couldn't bake. But she wouldn't eat junk food because of the rubbish in it, so she developed a short repertoire of easy, healthy recipes and ate fruit for pudding with the occasional chocolate bar.

The short one persuaded the lean one to come to an exercise class. The lean one got very out of breath and her legs ached for three days afterwards. She didn't like the feeling, so she pretended to be too busy to go again.

The short one booked them a riding lesson at a local stables; they'd both been crazy about ponies and had ridden whenever they could as kids. She loved the lesson and immediately booked another, even though she was breathless and sweating.

The lean one said it made her back ache too much…

As more years passed, the short one stayed active. It became a habit. She was still square and slightly wider round the middle, but she could walk for hours with her big dog and not get tired, dig in the garden and not feel weak, climb over a fence and not feel unsteady. Her joints got a bit stiff, so she took up Pilates. She felt better; going to class regularly stretched her muscles, strengthened her spine and mobilised her joints. Her chronological age meant nothing to her; she felt years and years younger than she actually was. She didn't even mention the class to the lean one.

The lean one got leaner and began to stoop. She had a little dog. She walked it conscientiously because she was a good owner, but it pulled very badly, and one day hurt her arm. The muscles took ages to heal and were weak (she didn't like doing her physi

idn't text each other, they went round to call. They didn't play SuperNintendo but Star Trek and Spiderman, running and jumping all day, never tired and rarely ill.

As they got older and had kids, the short one got wider but the lean one stayed willowy. The short one began to exercise again as the kids went their own ways, determined not to put any more weight on. The lean one didn't bother. After all, she had no problem with her weight.

The lean one was a good cook and a vegetarian. Her speciality was homebaked cakes and cookies, which she loved. She never gained an ounce.

The short one disliked cooking and couldn't bake. But she wouldn't eat junk food because of the rubbish in it, so she developed a short repertoire of easy, healthy recipes and ate fruit for pudding with the occasional chocolate bar.

The short one persuaded the lean one to come to an exercise class. The lean one got very out of breath and her legs ached for three days afterwards. She didn't like the feeling, so she pretended to be too busy to go again.

The short one booked them a riding lesson at a local stables; they'd both been crazy about ponies and had ridden whenever they could as kids. She loved the lesson and immediately booked another, even though she was breathless and sweating.

The lean one said it made her back ache too much…

As more years passed, the short one stayed active. It became a habit. She was still square and slightly wider round the middle, but she could walk for hours with her big dog and not get tired, dig in the garden and not feel weak, climb over a fence and not feel unsteady. Her joints got a bit stiff, so she took up Pilates. She felt better; going to class regularly stretched her muscles, strengthened her spine and mobilised her joints. Her chronological age meant nothing to her; she felt years and years younger than she actually was. She didn't even mention the class to the lean one.

The lean one got leaner and began to stoop. She had a little dog. She walked it conscientiously because she was a good owner, but it pulled very badly, and one day hurt her arm. The muscles took ages to heal and were weak (she didn't like doing her physi

ertoire of easy, healthy recipes and ate fruit for pudding with the occasional chocolate bar.

The short one persuaded the lean one to come to an exercise class. The lean one got very out of breath and her legs ached for three days afterwards. She didn't like the feeling, so she pretended to be too busy to go again.

The short one booked them a riding lesson at a local stables; they'd both been crazy about ponies and had ridden whenever they could as kids. She loved the lesson and immediately booked another, even though she was breathless and sweating.

The lean one said it made her back ache too much…

As more years passed, the short one stayed active. It became a habit. She was still square and slightly wider round the middle, but she could walk for hours with her big dog and not get tired, dig in the garden and not feel weak, climb over a fence and not feel unsteady. Her joints got a bit stiff, so she took up Pilates. She felt better; going to class regularly stretched her muscles, strengthened her spine and mobilised her joints. Her chronological age meant nothing to her; she felt years and years younger than she actually was. She didn't even mention the class to the lean one.

The lean one got leaner and began to stoop. She had a little dog. She walked it conscientiously because she was a good owner, but it pulled very badly, and one day hurt her arm. The muscles took ages to heal and were weak (she didn't like doing her physi

round the middle, but she could walk for hours with her big dog and not get tired, dig in the garden and not feel weak, climb over a fence and not feel unsteady. Her joints got a bit stiff, so she took up Pilates. She felt better; going to class regularly stretched her muscles, strengthened her spine and mobilised her joints. Her chronological age meant nothing to her; she felt years and years younger than she actually was. She didn't even mention the class to the lean one.

The lean one got leaner and began to stoop. She had a little dog. She walked it conscientiously because she was a good owner, but it pulled very badly, and one day hurt her arm. The muscles took ages to heal and were weak (she didn't like doing her physio exercises) so, from then on, the short one walked both dogs. She put a harness on the little dog and he soon realised that she was stronger and more determined than he was. So he stopped pulling. But only for her.

And the years passed….

The short one gained weight, but only slowly. She ate well and healthily and loved her food. She kept up her active lifestyle and went to Pilates religiously; the younger members of the class were amazed at how strong and supple she was.

The lean one lost weight. Her joints ached and she had to give up baking due to the stiffness in her hands. She wasn't really bothered; she didn't have much appetite these days. She'd sit by the window and wave to the short one as she marched briskly by with her latest big dog. The little dog was gone now, and she'd convinced herself she wasn't fit enough to have another.

In the autumn of their years, things came full circle. Both were widowed, children long gone with families of their own. Grandchildren visited and went on their way, intent on their own lives. The two friends had time for one another once again. The short one came round to call nearly every day, just as she'd done when they were young. They spent from dawn till dusk together, roamed up hill and down dale, visited all their old haunts, giggled and gossiped and remembered.

The short one pushed the wheelchair….