Keeping in touch with old school friends

[80sChav]

My brother is still friends with the friends he had at school, whereas I pretty much didn't see mine after I left. I didn't really have a "set" group of friends like he did, I just hung out with different people depending on what I was into at the time.

I was a member of Friends Reunited (R.I.P) where I could see what people had got up to and the reunions they'd attended but never really contacted anyone other than the odd message. I've had a few people from back then contact me via facebook as I joined a local group for the town where I used to live but again, just a few messages and i'm not going to catch up with any of them when i'm back in the UK.

The last time I saw anyone from my old school was at my brother's wedding back in the UK a few years ago, one of his mates had married a girl in my year (not class) who I kind of knew from a few lessons but didn't hang out with or talk to much. Turns out she had a crush on me at school which i never knew about till then, was slightly awkward tbh.

You have probably got the right approach here Mulletino mate - though being the other side of the World 9where-ever we was brought up - be it moving to Austrlia from England or England to Australia) it holds it's own advantages in this kind of situation I think!!

Imagine though if DYR members where people we all went to school with ..... what a re-union that'd be/that would be a re-union anyone would be interested in I'd hazzard at a guess to say!!

As I said about being bullied - like many others have on here 9or lack of fitting in) I dunno how I'd describe it as not fitting in socialy or just school - but I think for many of this, possibly easily plays a lead role re wanting to contact old school mates I'd say - hence the bit I said above about "if we all from DYR went to school together"

I sure know though that whatever I did at school- I never ever ever fitted in and trying to be in the popular crowd - re Footy Sticker Collecting, playing Footy, Musical Tastes - even having your tie thin side out - if others wanted this of you (to fit in etc) it never ever worked as then they'd change the rules/game-plat! I dunno what your thoughts here are on this one mate?

80schav

[Twocky61]

Two

My best mate Andy & my schoolboy crush Linda

Both are now married with kids & grand kids

[tex]

I was always quite passive at school and had a very small circle of friends, the bully boys would usually ignore me in favour of easier pickings until one day when one of these morons decided it was my turn to be degraded. I stopped him in his tracks and suggested we settle it at lunchtime, i knocked him on his *** with one punch and he lay on the ground crying like a *****, i promptly went back to being ignored by the bullies.

[Mulletino]

I sure know though that whatever I did at school- I never ever ever fitted in and trying to be in the popular crowd - re Footy Sticker Collecting, playing Footy, Musical Tastes - even having your tie thin side out - if others wanted this of you (to fit in etc) it never ever worked as then they'd change the rules/game-plat! I dunno what your thoughts here are on this one mate?

80schav

I've never been that bothered about "fitting in", I was just into the things I was into and gravitated towards those also into that. So i'd often just end up hanging with already established groups of friends each time. I guess this helped me with my move overseas though as making friends here meant i'd be doing the same thing, hanging out with already established groups of people. I've never found it hard making new friends (probably from all the practice) so it hasn't been a problem for me, some people who have had the same friends since school might struggle with it possibly.

The only people I really see when we go back to the UK are the mates I made at my old work, who became joint friends of mine and my wife, their partners also became part of the group as have all our kids now. We all lived near each other and had some great times when we lived there, regular quiz nights and camping etc.
The other group are my mates who predate those who I made via Paintball, who were already a team when I joined but we all got on really well and ended up playing together in many different teams over the years, different teams, same group within. We'd all traveled overseas a lot together and became really great mates, I only really see two (sometimes three) of them when we go back but I count those as really good mates.

But none of these are people I went to school with.

[Donald the Great]

I was always quite passive at school and had a very small circle of friends, the bully boys would usually ignore me in favour of easier pickings until one day when one of these morons decided it was my turn to be degraded. I stopped him in his tracks and suggested we settle it at lunchtime, i knocked him on his *** with one punch and he lay on the ground crying like a *****, i promptly went back to being ignored by the bullies.

Good for you tex. Similar to me. I had been bullied verbally mostly by this one kid thru much of my early years at boarding school. One day I said I had had a gutfull and told him to go to the gym.. pick two sets of gloves and we would settle this once and for all in the ring. I was a pretty good boxer and whipped his a***. He never bothered me agin.. in fact we became friends of a sort.

[Pussywillow]

I can safely say that I haven't and wouldn't and didn't keep in touch with anyone after my awful schooldays. In fact no-one even recognises me, let alone remembers me. I even bought a house from a guy I knew in my class at Wallingford, and he never recognised or remembered me. I never mentioned it either, because it was irrelevant.

[80sChav]

I've never been that bothered about "fitting in", I was just into the things I was into and gravitated towards those also into that. So i'd often just end up hanging with already established groups of friends each time. I guess this helped me with my move overseas though as making friends here meant i'd be doing the same thing, hanging out with already established groups of people. I've never found it hard making new friends (probably from all the practice) so it hasn't been a problem for me, some people who have had the same friends since school might struggle with it possibly.

The only people I really see when we go back to the UK are the mates I made at my old work, who became joint friends of mine and my wife, their partners also became part of the group as have all our kids now. We all lived near each other and had some great times when we lived there, regular quiz nights and camping etc.
The other group are my mates who predate those who I made via Paintball, who were already a team when I joined but we all got on really well and ended up playing together in many different teams over the years, different teams, same group within. We'd all traveled overseas a lot together and became really great mates, I only really see two (sometimes three) of them when we go back but I count those as really good mates.

But none of these are people I went to school with.

Fair call here Mulletino mate - I guess it either works one way or the other and for me it's fair to say it was the "other"

Regardless though as I say fair play to you and great you have got on the way you do with other friends

Thanks for replying to my PM - I sent you a Pm back the other weekend by the way Mucker!

80sChav

[cbenee]

I'm 44, have known my 2 best mates since playschool, still see each other at least once a week