Two women with 54-year age gap on their close friendship

Two women from Cheltenham, Iona Leaf, 22, and Judith Chapman, 76, have spoken about a close friendship that crosses a 54-year age gap. They met at a church in Cheltenham when Iona was a student at the University of Gloucestershire and Judith was a warden. Iona said Judith stood out: 'She was so colourful and very put together and just really interesting.' She added that she was 'bewitched' and wanted to know who this woman was.

Iona has since returned home to Manchester, but the pair spend a weekend together every month. They have just returned from a holiday in Scotland, where they stayed in a small cottage and took day trips around the area. Judith described the trip as 'really lovely.'

Their relationship is an example of an intergenerational friendship, which the report defined as a friendship between people more than 15 years apart. The benefits were described as mutual:

• greater empathy and confidence
• a space to share stories
• a way to tackle different perceptions and perspectives between generations

The pair also discussed the stereotypes that can divide younger and older people. Iona said many in her generation and younger see older people as privileged, able to buy a house cheaply and with large pensions, and feel a growing gap between those who have and those who do not. Judith said older people can think younger people are glued to their phones and doom scrolling. Both said everyone is human and that interests are not limited by generation.

For Judith, who does not have family herself, the friendship means someone keeping her young. She said Iona challenges her to walk every day and not miss Pilates. 'Iona is very determined that I am not going to get old,' she said. With more in common than the things that set them apart, the pair suggested that age is just a number.