Our Friendships Shouldn't Work...But They Do

Their relationships may be unusual, but these women embrace their unconventional friendships

- Kara O'neill

‘I DON’T USUALLY GIVE OUR AGES A SECOND THOUGHT’

Lisa Phillips, 50, is a confidence coach in Northamptonshire.

In summer 2014, Kirstie, a backpacker who was making a bit of extra cash as a cleaner, came to clean my flat in Sydney. I was 43, Kirstie was just 23. I liked her immediately. She loved animals, which was perfect as I had a cat, and she made me laugh. She, like me, was from the UK originally and had a quick-witted sense of humour I loved. Kirstie would visit every couple of weeks to clean, and we’d often chat well after her shift ended.

‘Shall we go out for dinner?’ I suggested one day. We ended up in a British fish and-chip restaurant in the city, bonding over our love of 80s pop music.

A few months later, I was looking for a new flatmate and Kirstie was in need of a place to stay, so I asked if she wanted to move in with me. She agreed, and it worked out brilliantly. Kirstie taught me how to cook – I’d always been rubbish, and she was excellent – and she’d always come to me for advice on things like dating.

When Kirstie announced she was moving back to the UK in 2016, I was gutted to see her go, but we kept in touch over video calls and messaged each other all the time.

Two years later, I decided to return to the UK myself. Although Kirstie and I don’t live close (she’s in Nottingham, a good 70 miles away) we talk to each other regularly and, in normal times, we go on holiday together every year.

The fact that Kirstie is 20 years younger than me never really crosses my mind.