Brother from Another Mother: My Mate Phil

Some people come into your life by pure chance, and some stay in it by pure loyalty. That’s exactly how I’d sum up my mate Phil. We first crossed paths back in 2014 on the Renault Owners Club Facebook page. I had a Megane at the time, and Phil was the proud owner of a Scenic. Just two blokes chatting about their cars online - nothing unusual, really. But somehow, that random conversation turned into a genuine, lifelong friendship.

From day one, we just clicked. No drama, no egos, just an instant mutual respect and shared sense of humour. What started as a few casual posts and comments quickly evolved into proper chats, and before I knew it, Phil had become one of the most important people in my life.

In the years that followed, we’ve been through a lot - separately and together. Life hasn’t always been easy, but Phil has always been there. Not just on the good days, when it’s easy to be someone’s mate, but on the tough ones too. When things got heavy, when I didn’t know where to turn, Phil was there. Always ready to listen, always ready to help, never once judging, never once walking away.

He was there when my kids came along, genuinely happy for me, always asking how they were getting on. And every single time I needed to vent, rant, laugh or just talk rubbish about life, he was only ever a message away. That kind of consistency, that kind of loyalty - it’s rare these days.

And it’s not just emotional support either. Phil is someone who shows up. He’s the kind of mate who doesn’t just say, “Let me know if you need anything,” and then disappear. He means it. He’s helped out loads with my YouTube channel - not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Whether it’s bouncing around ideas, tech support, motivation, or just giving honest feedback, he’s always in my corner. (I’ll be dropping a link to his own channel), because he deserves more eyes on what he’s doing, 100%.

What’s mad is, we’ve never even had a real argument. Sure, we’ve disagreed on stuff - any real mates do - but never a falling out, never even a single crossed word. That’s not luck. That’s what happens when you’ve got mutual respect and real care for one another. And I think that says everything about the kind of person Phil is.

To me, he’s more than a mate. He’s family. The brother I got to choose. The one who stuck around. He means more to me than I can probably put into words in a blog post, but I wanted to try anyway. Because he deserves the recognition. He deserves to know just how much he matters - not just to me, but to everyone lucky enough to know him.

So, Phil - thank you. For being there. For every message, every laugh, every time you’ve had my back. For showing what true friendship looks like. The world could use a few more people like you, but I’m damn lucky to have the original.

Here’s to many more years of friendship, dodgy car chat, and being each other’s biggest supporters.

Zoe,Myself and Phil

                                                                 Phil's Youtube channel