Thirty-nine years is a long time to not see someone, so today was a bit of an overdue milestone.

Richard was a flatmate and co teacher-trainee of mine back in - oh let's just say "soooo last century". In the intervening years since then he has solidly maintained his career in teaching, whereas I abandoned mine after only two years at the chalk-face. In that time he has taught all over New Zealand, including Stewart Island, and has specialised in small schools, tiny schools; the sort of schools so miniscule that Ministers of Education always have them in their sights for closure.

In the almost-40 years since we were flatmates in McGiffert Street, Palmerston North, it's been Facebook that has reunited us online, but today we managed a face-to-face catch up, half a world away from where we started... in London.

Over here in the UK for half-term, Liz and I caught the train into London on a blue-sky day, not too cold but with a bit of a breeze. The train service, while not exactly on time, was efficient enough, and the conductor polite in his apologies for the lack of space. He invited passengers to move through to First Class if they wanted. Dammit, Liz and I had already managed to get seats, so missed out on a bit of London-Midlands Railway luxury. But the journey wasn't long anyway, and we were soon at Euston.

Liz pared off to do some shopping while I let my TomTom guide me to The Narrowboat Pub on Regent's Canal in Islington, the rendezvous for Richard and me. He arrived with wife Janine a few minutes after me.

I always think reunions are fascinating. I'm a nostalgia freak at heart, so I always relish an opportunity to talk over old times, and fill in the gaps, argue about who did what (and to whom) and generally chew the fat. Well, we certainly did all of that, and the next three hours flew by over a very pleasant lunch and a few drinks. I toasted Richard's dedication to teaching, and after Liz joined us we all celebrated the old Nike principle of "Just Do It", agreeing that if you want to go overseas, have an adventure, risk everything, or just try something different, there's no time like now.

I found Richard's stories of life in the class system fascinating, even more so now that he's a relief teacher ("Supply Teacher") here in the UK. We could have debated the relative merits of the NZ and UK education systems ad nauseam; suffice to say New Zealand - for all the hammering the Min of Ed gets in the media - isn't too bad, something I can endorse from having done about five contract stints at the MoE over the past eight years or so. Teachers are a passionate bunch - sometimes overly-so - but I greatly admire those that continue in the profession against all odds.

We excahaged gossip of a non-educational nature too of course, but that shall remain off the record :-)

As with most reunions, at least in my experience, the years fall away and it's almost like you pick up where you left off. There was a lot we didn't get around to talking about... three hours isn't nearly long enough to cover 40 years of absence (and I forgot to bring a note from my parents!), but we did well considering. Hopefully there will other opportunities.

On the return journey Liz and I caught the tube from Angel station, where I noticed that ubiquitous London underground warning, "Mind the Gap."

Which was poignant. After all that time since seeing Richard, I thought about the gap, and wondered why I'd left it so long.