MEETING THEM WAS LIKE STARTING A LOVE AFFAIR

entrepreneur robbie Jerram, 53, lives in Southampton and is married to Alan, 50, a training adviser. robbie has four adult children from her first marriage. She says:

BEFORE I met Karen and Wendy, there were times when I felt isolated as a mum of four working from home. I just didn’t have a connection with other women.

And when my first husband and I divorced in 1999, some of my

friendships went by the wayside. I was feeling broken and lonely, while juggling raising a family with running my business.

I didn’t have time to nurture my friendships. Now that the kids are grown-up, though, I do.

I met Alan (pictured with me, right) in 2003 and we married in 2005. Three years later, I met Karen and Wendy.

I was probably the one who needed their friendship the most when we met that weekend. I craved female company.

When I got home, I’d sometimes put on a soundtrack of music from our weekend together just to remind me of them. It almost sounds like a love affair!

But it was so exciting to meet them. It was a bit like the frisson you get in the early days of a relationship.

When I’m with Karen and Wendy, I see life in a different way. Alan doesn’t understand any of the things that interest us, such as self-improvement.

When my dad died in 2010, the girls just listened and were there for me in a way my husband didn’t know how to be.

We meet up at least once a month and people take one look at us and see it’s a really special friendship.

When I see my now retired mum going off on cruises with her girlfriends in their 70s, I like to think we’ll do the same at some stage.

ALAN SAYS:

IT’S a relief to know that Robbie can talk to her friends.

They are able to share things with each other that possibly wouldn’t be dealt with between the two of us.

We have our own interests, so it helps me to know she has them in her life.