The Guardian - Life & Style • Feb. 8, 2026, 9:17 a.m.

Best friends at school, Gabby Amadio and Russell lost touch for 40 years – but a message on Facebook brought them back into each other’s lives Find more stories from the moment I knew series I’m not sure when Russell and I became close friends, but in years 9, 10 and 11 at Turramurra high in Sydney in the mid-1980s we were inseparable. It was platonic, though, to be honest, I was probably in love with him at some point!

My mum, Nadine, was an author and arts editor for the Financial Review, so we have lovely memories of going to the opera, ballet and theatre together: me, mum, Russell. She adored him.

Mum and I lived in a converted church and he was always offering to work around the house. We’d listen to music, hang out – he tried to teach me about football, and I watched it because he liked it, even though I found it tedious.

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