A year of friendship between Cora and Emma

Please note: this post is 105 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

East Dulwich neighbours Cora and Emma were introduced to each other through our Love Your Neighbour programme one year ago. Each week SLC volunteer Emma visits Cora at home for conversation, company and some quality time. They've developed a strong friendship through a love of writing, and are still learning more all the time from one another. With 50 years between them it's not the average friendship, and so finding something shared in common can be that much more enjoyable. Cora and Emma have shared their experience with us here.

Emma, 32

"Cora and I have just celebrated the one-year anniversary of our friendship and boy, has the time flown! Cora lives ten minutes away from me, and visiting her never fails to inject some fun and gossip into my otherwise solitary working at home Fridays. She's currently housebound so our visits consist of a chat and a bit of telly watching (we love property and cookery shows, often gossiping about the presenters rather than giving them all our attention!).

My favourite visits are when Cora tells me about her past. Her experience of growing up in Jamaica and of travelling to London for the first time at 18 years old, arriving at the airport in a thin cotton dress and sandals one freezing November evening. I also love the story Cora tells so well when she first saw a bottle of Head and Shoulders in a shop, thinking that British people had special shampoo to wash their shoulders! She's lived in South London for many years, so it's always interesting to hear about how the shops and streets of East Dulwich, Peckham and Camberwell have changed.

Our lives could not be more different but between us we enjoy sharing experiences and putting the world to rights. As well as her company I'm really grateful to Cora for sharing her wisdom and advice about life in general. When she wrote me a beautiful poem for my wedding last September I was moved to tears. She is a kind, funny and generous soul and it's such a pleasure to know her. It was lovely to hear the other day that she feels she can talk to me about anything. We're currently piecing together her memoirs so hopefully you'll be able to read about her fascinating life on this blog at some point in the future - watch this space!"

Cora, 82

"What I talk about with Emma...it can be anything! We're very different in race, age group, and experience. We were born in different times but we share a lot too. There’s an understanding between us, and she's always good in conversation and in listening.

I’ve experienced so many changes over the early 20^th century when I was born. London is a different place and our priorities as people now have changed. You'd know your neighbours and keep your doors open to them, and you can't do that now. There’s not as much respect for older people as there used to be. But there are still lots of honourable, pleasant and respectful young people too!

What I really want to do now is to write something that I can publish. I’ve written with Emma about my childhood in Jamaica, my move to England and my next chapter is about my first years in London in the 60s. She’s got some good ideas about writing – I say something, and she suggests something else and we get along that way. We talk about it and make a decision. I enjoy that very much."

Emma and Cora are one of fifty Love Your Neighbour matches across Southwark and Lambeth. You can read more about the whole programme here!