Verne Bingham, 39, Lowestoft
Scrolling through Facebook, I saw a message from my old mate Chilton, and grinned.
Hey, it’s been a long time!
I’d first met Chilton, then 41, through friends in 2002, when I was 20 and living in Durban, South Africa.
He’d always been friendly, funny – but we’d lost touch when I moved to the UK.
Now, in December 2019, as I replied to his message, he was still easy to talk to.
The more we spoke, the more I liked him, and not just as a mate.
‘Is it sensible?’ I asked friends. ‘We’re so far apart!’
‘Go for it,’ they urged.
So, two months later, in February 2020, I flew to South Africa to visit.
On our first date, Chilton picked me up for…
