I received a phone call today from a lady called Kath, who asked to speak to Margaret. Very sadly I had to explain to her that she had just died. She was sad but not particularly surprised - when you get to your 90s these things must happen quite often. 'We were at school together', Kath said. 'Margaret was a great friend and guide to me. We already knew each other from Sunday School, and she was a year older, so had already been there for a year. She was a great support to me and helped me find my feet. I was so grateful to her.' The school in question was Fairfield High School for Girls, a prestigious establishment in Manchester, and it's still going strong today. Kath went on to chuckle about how in later years, every time she and her husband Frank drove past the school gates she would tease him by bursting into song - the school song which began 'Come girls we'll sing with all our powers!' Mum loved her time at Fairfield and her green woolly hat with a badge is still in a drawer at home. So her passing marks the end of a friendship which had lasted over 80 years.