Special Women 3

Hockey, as I’m going to name her, was the first person I met at University. I got my place at University through the clearing system so was late to register my need for accommodation (should have studied more). As a result, I was allocated a shared room – you want me to move five hours from home and share a room with a random girl I’ve never met? Hockey was the random girl who had the misfortune of sharing with me. Miraculously it worked out really well, we went and explored the kitchen together and bagsied ourselves a space in a cupboard. We went and explored the bathrooms and couldn’t fathom out why there were two showers to one room – do they expect us to leave the door open so someone else can use the other shower? We went and explored the student union together and conquered the dance floor.

After a couple of months Hockey applied to get a single room on her own not because of me, I hope, but because she wanted her own space. This worked out well as it meant I then had a double room all to myself. She continued to use our kitchen and we continued to be friends. We lived four doors away from each other in second and third year and then in fourth year when we decided to move back to University accommodation we decided to share again (with Cee).

The stress of final exams, dissertations, our uncertain future plus the usual domestic disputes* meant that we finished our final year on a less positive note. Hockey could be quite hard work in an over the top enthusiastic, seriously you cannot function at those sorts of energy levels all the time type way**. After graduation, we made a half hearted attempt at keeping in touch but soon it became a text at Christmas and New Year.

Just over a year ago, Cee randomly bumped into Hockey in the street, they chatted briefly, exchanged email addresses and agreed to arrange a reunion with London (an introduction coming soon) and I. We all got on brilliantly, chatting for hours. We have met up several times since and have been in regular email contact. Hockey has been incredibly helpful to me as she was planning her wedding at the same time. She came dress shopping with me on a couple of occasions and has sent me loads of useful links and tips and hints. Hockey got married 17th April and threw a wonderful party (despite the ash cloud which meant some guests couldn’t get there), she made an incredibly beautiful bride – really, it is a shame she’ll only get to be a bride once as she was born for the part.

I’m so glad that we are back in touch she has been the most amazing friend over the last year.

*Hockey used to leave piece of chicken in a freezer bag on the work surface to defrost the rest of the flat residents felt that this should have been on a plate to collect the defrost juice.

**She has definitely mellowed.

You might have guessed, by the name I’ve given her, that Hockey played hockey – I didn’t, in fact I got bullied by the hockey team in high school so I didn’t really have a good impression of the sport and those that play it, not to generalise but the University hockey team weren’t that friendly either. I think however that she got the worse end of the stick though as she had to put up with my stinky riding boots and crop – oh-er missus (sorry couldn’t resist).