Wendy and Debbie and Debbie's cat

Wendy and Debbie popped in to say hello and have a cuppa this evening. I am so chuffed that they do, they are both ex-student placements and friends from my time at Action Factory Community Arts.

Wendy (behind the phone) lived with us for 5 months in 2007 when she and Rachel came on work experience to Action Factory from Windesheim University in Zwolle, Netherlands. While she was in England Wendy and Debbie became friends (they are both rock chicks!) and Wendy comes over to England about once a year to visit Debbie and they come round to say hello.

Debbie is in her early 30s now and I first met her when she came to Action Factory on work experience from school when she was 15. She too stayed in touch, volunteered with AF, worked as a freelance artist and became part of the extended family.

As ever we spent part of the evening talking about different English words for moving around - meandering, mooching, pottering, traipsing, ambling - and the subtle yet significant differences between them.

It has been a day for meeting old friends. Alex, again in his early 30s now, was at the conference today and I first met him during an art project when he was 15 and I was a young(ish) arts worker.

God I feel old.