Have you ever met a stranger, who you never saw again, that you still think about?

I met a man on a course who utterly changed the course of my life.

We spent four days together, were completely inseparable, stayed up until 3 every night talking, and were utterly perfect for each other.

Sadly, I was married at the time, so nothing remotely romantic or sexual happened. We parted with a hug and I never saw him again.

But in that four days, that man gave me my self esteem back just by treating me like a person he liked and respected. He asked for nothing in return and behaved like a total gentleman.

Leaving him behind was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. I simply can't think about him now. He's preserved in amber; a beautiful memory.

It took me another five years to escape my marriage, but the fact that I knew there was something better out there is purely down to him. Part of me will love him forever.

Mulligrubs I have a story similar to yours.

I was going in for an emergency C-section and I was completely out of it and in horrible pain, I was screaming. I don't remember anyone but then this nurse/midwife? with big breasts came over and hugged me while everyone around me was running around. In my haze I remember thinking she had the loveliest, softest breasts in the world and I just rested my head on her chest. I think she was actually holding me down while they did something. She had such kind and soothing words to me and actually gave me some comfort when I was in a very horrible situation.

,* birth.

DS was a forceps birthday. I was 21 and terrified, DH was stunned. As the room filled up with medics and they put my feet up in stirrups a trainee midwife grabbed my hand, looked into my eyes and said " I'm here and I'm going to stay with you" Her connecting with me at that moment has stayed with me for over 20 years. She made a scary situation much less so.

Some beautiful stories here. I am racking my memory - I fall in love all the time (or used to!) but 3 DCs and no sleep have made my brain go foggy....

I've been up half the night reading this thread! What wonderful stories - thank you all.

Dogseggs reminded me!!

Last year I was racially abused in a cafe in London. I was until then enjoying an evening with two friends until two drunken guys came in, one of them said a homophobic slur to one friend and began chatting up my other friend. Then one of them turned to me and began on this gross disgusting diatribe of racism, slurs and so on. I told him how racist he was but being he carried on. We left and my friends just said "well at least he didn't hit you" and walked off to their respective stations, with me in tears. I walked back to my bus stop alone, still crying. A young Italian guy turned to me and said "in my country, when we cry and it's raining we say it is good because you cannot see the tears" (or words to that effect). I told him someone had been very horrible to me and he was so comforting, he had just arrived and had nowhere to stay in London but was heading to a hostel or something and then my bus came. I always wonder what happened to him - he was truly a sweetheart.

Donkey's story warmed my heart. How happy for her.

Back in my student days I used to work at Argos. One Valentine's Day I was approached for help by an woman who was clearly at least in her mid to late sixties who wanted to buy an ironing board. She was rather eccentric in her furs and pearls and obviously was one of those people who were truly young at heart. During our conversation she told me that she was buying the ironing board as a present for her lover who was a judge. She hoped that if she could press his shirts better then his wife then he would leave her and after 30 years of being his mistress they could finally be together. She was so appreciative of my help that when leaving she came and found me and thrust a ticket to a rather exclusive nightclub in my hand and insisted that I must come and be her guest for a night.

I never did go but i still feel sad for her situation and admire her zest

Namechanged as several people know this one.

Went with friends to a student ball in a hotel that we'd seen advertised - just had after dinner tickets so didn't have anywhere to sit apart from the floor when the evening's entertainment - a new comic came on. He'd come with a friend who sat with us on the floor and did some pre-planned heckling of his friend. Got talking to the friend and felt like there was a real connection. Then one of the friends we were with got turned down by a guy she'd fancied so she ran to the loos and cut her wrists. Later turned out that this was to be her way of getting attention - more of a scratch than an actual cut and never needed anything more than a dab of tcp and a small plaster to deal with it. But this was the first time and so we all rushed in to check on her. It was almost the end of the evening - tried to exchange numbers with the comic's friend but he was getting pulled into a taxi by the comic, my friends had also got into one and I wasn't brave enough to go with him instead of my friends. Pre mobile and internet days so needed a paper and pencil to exchange numbers and we didn't manage it.

Few months later, saw the comic on the tv. His new friend was on there too as his sidekick. Never brave enough to make contact, but it was a great evening and I do wonder what would have happened if friend hadn't tried to cut her wrists (or if she'd not used that night as the first time so we knew not to panic). These days, DH still doesn't watch programmes with those comedians in just out of habit.

Another one - went to buy a lottery ticket. Saturday evening, about half an hour before the deadline. But only a five minute walk to my local supermarket where I had got them from previously with no problems. Got there to discover the frustrated looking serving person explain to the person in front of me that their machine was broken and so he couldn't sell him a ticket. However he could tell us to try xx or yy shops as they had ticket machines and might be able to sell us one. I didn't know where they were so the guy in front of me, similar sort of age, maybe five years older, said he did and he'd show me as he was going to find them too. We walked along and chatted most companionably - tried both shops but they were closed and then he asked me if I wanted to go for a drink. Would have loved to but had a dp (he was away for 6 months and coming back the next weekend, he'd organised moving abroad for a stint without really involving me so I was pretty hacked off with him), and that evening I'd arranged to go to an event with some friends, I'd been involved in organising it so couldn't get out of it.

Probably for the best as dp then is now dh and all is good, but it does make me wonder if things could have been very different if I hadn't got anything pre-arranged to go to and had gone for a drink instead! I do mean to use it as the basis of a story at some point but haven't got around to it yet!

Finally - on honeymoon we went on a cruise. Average age of cruisers was old - we brought the average down quite considerably. We didn't care as we'd chosen it because it went to lots of interesting places. We'd had a fantastic time and on the last night at the gala dinner, we'd asked for a table for two, thinking we would have one romantic meal together as it was our honeymoon - we'd ended up meeting lots of fascinating people and so hadn't eaten alone much. They apologised but only had a table for four left, so sat us with two old ladies, both of whom were in their mid 80s.

Turned out one lived in Australia, one in the UK, and they met up on a cruise or two every year, alternating north and south hemispheres. One was a distinguished sculptress, the other a professor who'd started off as an archeologist on digs in Egypt with Agatha Christie. We were the last table chucked out of the dining room - they had so many amazing tales. The only thing we wished was that we'd met them at the start of the trip as our cruise included Egypt and we'd done the tours of the pyramids and Cairo Musuem. They'd gone on the tours too, to reminisce. So wished we'd been in their group - would have been fantastic to have heard their stories in the places that they'd happened! That was over 10 years ago now and I have no idea if they're still alive (I've forgotten their names now) but dh and I still remember them fondly!

Brilliant thread.

One person who has always stuck in my mind is a man who ran down the escalator at a M&S store when I got myself into a predicament carrying two huge and heavy bags half way down. Had he not dashed down and taken the bags from me, I would have lost my balance and fallen. He came out of nowhere to help me and never said a word. I am still massively grateful to him.

Another time was when I was a student in my early 20s. I was going through a really tough time. My grandmother had recently died and I had gone to Church one Sunday. During the Mass I started sobbing (and I mean sobbing...it wasn't pretty). I couldn't stop crying and was making the most awful noise. The people around me looked at me as though I was an alien and, at the end of the service I decided to stay seated because I felt so embarrassed. A young man, probably around my age at the time, came and sat down beside me, asked if I was ok and asked if I wanted to go for a coffee and chat with him. He said he was going through a tough time too. I declined (I was still crying and in a mess) but I have always felt enormously grateful towards him for his kindness and humanity. There must have been at least 800 people in the church that morning and he was the only one who came and offered support. I hope he is having a wonderful life.

It just shows that random acts of kindness can have a huge impact in people's lives.

20 years ago, I made eye contact with someone, with back and forth smiles, lots of looking for about an hour or more. It felt very intense yet subtle. I then had to leave to take my very drunk friend home. He came back the following week and I know it was to talk to me, but again I had to leave. I never saw him again, but still think about him. I had a real connection and think we will meet again one day..

When I was 18 I went to visit the missionary sisters of charity, I saw a young novitiate in a corridor and we both stopped in our tracks. She was tall and blonde, like a very young Kelly McGillis. I was dark with long hair and a summer tan. She put both of her hands out and held mine and spoke to me ...her name was Brigitte and she was french. We both stared at each other like we were lovers who had been reunited. I felt every hair on my neck stand up. We spoke greedily asking who we were and why we were there, until an older sister rushed over and ordered her away. I still dream about her sometimes 25 years later. I think she and I will meet in another life....or maybe we were lovers in a previous life.

On a train once I saw literally the most beautiful man I have ever seen. This must be 30 years ago, but he had quite long wavy hair in the most gorgeous shade of dark red, kind of like a red setter. Nothing happened, but I remember thinking "you are so so beautiful".

I was at a youth hostel in south Wales with a group of friends on a cycling holiday in 1988. We were chatting to a man in the hostel kitchen, and talking about where we had been and were going - we were going the opposite direction from him, and I said we'd be staying with an aunt in the village rather than in the hostel which he'd just come from. "Oh," he said, "Is your surname Molehill, by any chance?" "No, Bearhug," I said. The next day, I remembered that my great-grandmother's maiden name was Molehill, and I've wonder if he was some sort of distant relation who was also a Molehill. (I think he was Australian or a New Zealander or something not British, but I can't remember now.)

I was 19 in 2003. I was dancing with a large group of friends in our uni club. A beautiful tall brunette girl walked past and I was jealous of her. She kept walking past and I couldn't understand why. I then got a tap on my shoulder and she asked if my male friend was my boyfriend and I said no. She then asked if I was bi and told me that I had a beautiful body. Her name was Liz and she was just so confident. I wasn't ready for acknowledging my sexuality at the time, but I will always appreciate that experience and remember my shock at her showing an interest in me.

Some years ago when my children were younger we went to IKEA in Warrington and got chatting to a man who was with his daughter in the play area. The next day we went to Chester and saw the same man with his partner and daughter and stopped to say Hello. The next day in Southport I saw the partner with her mum and the little girl . We were absolutely gobsmacked and the partner said to her Mum "This is the lady I was telling you about".I still think about the coincidence to this day and wonder if we should have all gone for a coffee to see if there was a reason for our meetings over the 3 days.

What a wonderful thread

I had to go into hospital for an operation when I was 10. There was a little boy probably aged 2 in the next cubicle and in the whole time I was there (5 days) no one came to visit him. He used to cry a lot and I'd cuddle him up in bed with me because I felt so sad for him

He had huge blue eyes, lovely blond curly hair and was just a lovely little boy. Never knew what was wrong with him. I remember feeling so sad that no one seemed bothered with him.

His name was Wayne. I often wonder what happened to him.

I got separated from my friends after a night clubbing at Manumission in Ibiza. When the night ended we needed to get back to San Antonio and I waited for a bus, but the driver pulled up, took one look at me and pulled off again. I ended up walking all the way back to the hotel with a lad who had also lost his mates. We chatted the whole way back. I never saw him again and I often wondered about where he was and what he was doing now.

I have 2.
Westminster Children's hospital 1973. I had major heart surgery as a 5 year old. Lots of things happened whilst I was in there, including the whole hospital being evacuated due to a bomb threat. There was a little girl who was 3 having similar surgery I guess but had it a bit earlier. She went home when I was asleep but I woke up to a pink bunny that she had left for me. I called her Jasmine bunny after the girl that gave her to me and I still have her 42 years on. I told my youngest who is 7 this story and she hugged Jasmine bunny with a tear in her eye!

My second was getting on a train to Manchester when I was 20 for a work course I was dreading. Had been before and was the only girl in an all male group. I was shy. There was a woman I sat next to who was a college lecturer.She told me to pretend, just for a week not to be shy. That every time I practised not being shy it would get easier and that I was a brave and courageous woman doing my job at such a young age. That woman genuinely changed my life. When I started teaching life skills to young people I used this example loads so she has helped many more

I didn't meet him, but I was eating in a restaurant with my boyfriend (now Dh) and an older man was also a customer eating with his girlfriend/wife/possibly daughter on the next table. I was aware of him when he arrived, and thoughout the whole meal. I was about 30, he must have been about 60. I have never known such attraction before or since (about 20 years ago). I still feel a bit rocked by the attraction I had towards him. Weird.

I had something incredibly similar to this. In the USA with my sister, really excited to be going to a posh supper club to see a singer I was very much into (not well known on this side of the pond and never toured or performed here as far as I know).

A few tables away from us was this man, middle aged, average looking, with his wife/girlfriend, and it was like an electric wire running between the two of us. He clocked me, I clocked him ... and that was it.

I tried to concentrate on meal, conversation with sis, the performer I was so excited to be seeing at last ... but I'd just be drawn back to this man and every time I glanced his way he would be looking right back, looking as bewildered as I felt. Missed the singer's set entirely, didn't notice what we ate, drank, spoke about - just this overwhelming magnetic pull towards this man.

Weirdest thing ever. Nothing I could do about it (and wouldn't have done anyway), we left, flew home a few days later and that was that. Never forgotten it though ...that hairs on the back of the neck, shivers down the spine, electric attraction to someone. It's over 10 years ago and when I think about it, I still can't fathom what the hell was going on. Never had it before or since.

The family who came to my help when my car broke down in the middle of nowhere, at night and in the pouring rain. This was pre mobiles so the had to drive me to the nearest town miles away to call the AA and then drive me back. They even offered to wait for the AA guy to turn up. I was only 17.
I am sure I was extremely grateful and polite but I wish I had taken their details so I could have written to them.

Yes, years ago, about 83 or 84, I left the dentist in Sloane Square and got on a City bound train. There was a chap in the dentist leaving at the same sort of time as me and he got on the tube just after me. He was perfectly normal, stockbroker/city type but probably about 10/15 years older than me. He got off the tube before me and before he did, he thrust his card into my hand, told me he thought I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and to ring him if I'd like dinner. I don't know what I did with his card and have no recollection of his name. I think I just thought he was too old for me or not my type.

I have often looked back and thought about it and wondered who he was and what might have happened if I'd accepted him invitation.

My DD was born by caesarean, and was kept in special care for several days.

I had a catheter in, due to a bowel condition (TMI) had poor control, was unable to clean myself up because of the stitches - and then the lochia came in. I felt really dirty and horrible. I also got baby blues and was upset about DD.

The midwives were all busy, but they sent me a young nurse auxiliary, called I think Trixie or Trudy, who stayed with me for an hour and cleaned me up. She helped empty my bowels (TMI again, sorry) then shaved me; and finally washed me. Did it all without making me feel embarrassed or dirty. Was cheerful and just got on with the job.

I hope she is now a matron and all her staff respect and emulate her. The NHS needs nurses like her.

SO MANY! This is such a good idea for a thread.

1. Not so long ago my boyfriend and I were coming back from Stoke-On-Trent I think. An older Irish lady in the station sat by us and asked us to help her get back from the station as she couldn't see when the next train to Wolverhampton would be. We told her. Anyway over the hour or so that we waited for her train, the lady received a phone call and she began crying, talking about how she's sorry to talk about (the caller's father) that way, but he was also her husband and she just can't take it any more, she can't take it, she's had years of it and he'll never change and some other really upsetting stuff. When she got off the phone she apologised for crying in public and said how rude she had been. I told her it was fine, gave her a tissue and said I hope she'd be okay. :(

2. On a similar vein when I was maybe 16 I received a landline call from a frantic sounding woman. I never used to pick up the landline at home, but this time I did. She said "IS THIS SOCIAL SERVICES??????" sounding near tears. "um... no, really sorry but you have the wrong number but I hope you'll be okay". The lady was very apologetic and hung up.

3. On a happier note, I went to a houseparty in the first year of university with a few of my halls friends. I wandered off upstairs and ended up in a room full of kids from the music school. I got chatting to one guy who... really melted my heart. He was lovely, charming and flirty without being obvious. And one point, I noticed he was staring at me with the most beautiful look in his eyes, but I DIDN'T MEET HIS GAZE. I was trying to be cute and coy and unaware but instead I left without kissing him!

4. Similarly... Reuben. Back in my pre-uni days, I went on an overnight visit to a university that's known for having a high percentage of private and boarding school kids. I got talking to the boarding school educated Reuben ("yah, but I got a bursury so my parents got a fair whack off") who had the loveliest blue eyes, bright blonde hair - the dream boarding school boy. We spent the entire two days together and whilst I have no doubt that he was not attracted to me in retrospect - the idea of us strolling through the town together, hand in hand, was what got me through my A Levels! Even after I utterly embarrassed myself in front of him with a dry cough during a mini-seminar, I still very much looked forward to freshers week mishaps with him. (I didn't go to that uni in the end).

5. My current boyfriend could have been added here if I didn't have the confidence to chat to him and then give him my number! He would be known as the lovely, sexy, bearded guy who I utterly confused when I tried to teach him Auld Lang Syne... he's not from this country and still doesn't get the point of it :(

6. Also, I'm bisexual but as a teen I was exclusively into girls. I remember one holiday in Majorca I was so infatuated with a girl who sold slush puppies a few streets from my hotel! She was so smiley and once I was waiting on the opposite side of the street and we glanced shyly over at each other. And then again on a cruise, an older woman (probably 26ish but I was only 16 at the time!) called Eunice who was a waitress. Never forgotten her or her name, but a quick fb search reveals she was not super into me as I convinced myself - she's a wife and mother! And I was just a kiddy!