Brian ‘Kim’ Kimbui, 29

I met Rahel through a friend who was her former flatmate. I didn’t know she was 63 when I met her – you can’t tell. The age gap has never been an issue.

I’m black, she’s white. I’m 29, she’s older. I was raised a Christian, she’s Jewish. But we have become such good friends that it feels like she is part of my family. It gives me hope that, in the midst of Brexit and all this intolerance in the world, humanity will triumph.

We can also relate to each other as immigrants to this country (I’m from Kenya; she’s from Canada), who are making the most of the opportunities here. I think she has a motherly instinct towards me – she gives me a lot of advice. She knows a lot about my personal life that my mother is not privy to. All I know is, I look forward to going home when she’s there.

Rahel Bailie, 63

Age doesn’t matter in the way that Kim and I relate to each other, but it does matter in terms of the richness that we each bring to the relationship. I can bring him the wisdom of age and offer him dating advice. He helps me to understand our cultural differences – plus, he carries heavy groceries up the stairs.

He has taught me how to make his mother’s favourite stew, and I have taught him about whisky, gin and good red wine. He makes me food when I come back from travelling, changes the lightbulbs and motivates me to go to the gym. He plays east African pop and his girlfriend has taught me how to dance to Leg Over.

He has a keen mind and pokes holes into whatever political puffery is on the telly. We have the same values and we look out for each other. We are family now.

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• This article was amended on 22 April 2019. Due to an editing error, an earlier version incorrectly said that Brian Kimbui was from Nigeria.