The Bearkeeper said I am allowed to write my own column on the blog from time to time about anything that I like. He is not allowed to edit it or take stuff out; he has promised that if I want something in my column then he will not do anything to stop me including it. This could prove very interesting but I doubt even I could be as bad as Bearkeeper Dave – never forget he actually got the Police involved last year!

So what does everybody think of the new blog? Has everyone had a look through the Galleries yet? There are some really funny photographs in there from some of our oldest friends.

It was quite sad looking back through some of those pictures because some of our friends have fallen by the wayside during the five years we have been blogging. Amie, Hannah, Purple, Lorah, Cydne, Camille, Stephi, Gen, Lauren, Beth and Stacey to name a few no longer visit us.

The reasons people have stopped visiting us are varied too. Some get boyfriends who object – one even told one of our friends that she needed to grow up and get a life. One or two have fallen out with us or a practical joke has backfired and they fail to see the funny side. Sometimes it is their fault and I am sure sometimes it is ours – it takes two to argue after all.

Others friends have just fallen off the face of the Earth.

I suppose it is life that as we get older we lose touch with friends we make. We move on and make new friends – some we keep and some move on again.

Such is life.

Some friends have stayed with us through and through. I don’t think we could ever get rid of Andrea no matter how hard we tried (joke). Amie-Louise, Mel C, Ashley, Carina, Sarah, Ashley, Christina, Karen, Emily and the other Ashley have all been with us since the early days and yet still find time to pop back now and again to say hello. It is great to hear how they are doing and what has been happening in their lives since we last heard from them. Some of our friends have moved on from school/college and now have jobs and/or families of their own.

Looking back; Andrea was 12 years old when we first met her but “terrored” everyone who got in her way. Many a person has fallen fowl of Andrea’s bad temper and stubborn attitude but we have always found her to so such a loveable rogue. In the time we have known her she has grown up and the other day actually told our Bearkeeper to chill and stop winding people up. How the tables have turned!

Amie-Louise was a schoolgirl in Oldham when our paths first met. She spent many hours telling Dave all about Oldham where his Granddad was born and he told her some of the places he remembered his Granddad speaking of – some are still there, others have long disappeared. Since those early days Amie has since finished school, graduated Sixth-form College and is now at Sheffield University studying an “ology”.

It is amazing how much can happen in someone’s life in five years but we have to say there isn’t much we would change. We have had a great time meeting new, interesting people and we hope that you have also enjoyed the experience and had a great deal of fun along the way!

Speak to you all soon, Razzi.