Celia and Sue were the best and worst of friends, they were drinking buddies. Celia told me when we visited Sue in hospital that if Sue died, she would soon follow. And now she has. Only I had no idea it would happen so soon.

Celia was quite rightly given a lengthy driving ban earlier this year after being caught drink-driving one morning while collecting Sue’s clothes to take to a charity shop. And as Celia is a lorry driver, she lost her livelihood. There are no excuses for that. Her sister told me that she recently had a fall at home and suffered brain damage and was in a coma for nine days.

What a waste of two young and very vibrant lives. These were two such intelligent, warm, funny, loving women. But they simply could not, or did, not have the will to help themselves, to conquer their demons.

I still have Sue’s happy smiling photo by my desk. I also took a couple of photos of her in hospital, with Celia by her side, but my dear friend Sue was unrecognisable.  What happened to Sue and Celia? I can’t believe they have now both gone.