Strangers you remember fondly

Such a lovely thread!

I was standing alone in a taxi queue after a night out when I realised I'd lost my purse. This was in the days before mobile phones. I lived about ten miles away in a really rural area (no buses and couldn't walk) and my partner at the time was away (no lift). A homeless guy gave me £25 that he'd collected that night to get myself home. I tried to refuse but he insisted.

For about a year I carried an extra £50 in my purse in case I saw him again. But I never did. I think about him a lot and wonder what his story was. I hope he's okay.

Can we vote this thread for Classics please, its such a lovely thread :)

@SingularityX love this story :)

What a lovely thread.

Shortly after I'd moved abroad, I was driving my 5 year old home from school when the car started sliding in the snow and was stuck. After 30 minutes of receiving abusive gestures and language from other drivers (and the owner of the restaurant I was stranded near) I was beginning to despair when a young mum with a baby in a pushchair and an elderly man stopped and helped me push my car into a safer spot. I never saw either of them again but never forgot their kindness.

Whatsgoingoneh

What a fabulous story. I hope he is forever protected.

Summerscumin
You’ve reminded me when my big burly son was in his works van and a young lad came up chatting to him and his mates.
My lad said to him, you know you really shouldn’t be doing this , not everyone is as nice as us.
Bless

1 of my Dds middlename is my midwife I had a difficult pregnancy and she was a bloody gem she stayed over her shift and waited till Dd was born and took her up to scbu.

I’m a bit down tonight...and this thread is bringing tears to my eyes.
Some of you had the most lovely encounters with strangers.
I’ve had some lovely midwives especially my last labour which was difficult.

I remember a lovely old couple when I was on holiday with my parents I would be about five or 6 and they were probably about 70 or 80, and it would be 60 years ago

They actually taught me their address
Mr and Mrs Mann
55 first avenue
Bath

They actually did two 5s with their outstretched fingers
One thumb for first avenue

I’ve never forgotten it.

I remember a couple we wet on our honeymoon. At first I didn't really like them, they seemed to have quite a lot of sexism in their relationship and this annoyed me. She always brought him his drinks and served him.(of course we knew better, being newlyweds!). We were on an outing together and gradually we realised that he would also do anything for her and sacrificed a lot for her. They had a relationship where they each put the other one first and they were happy with each other many years into their marriage. It's helped me in my relationship with DH to appreciate him and do things for him to show him.

Some of these have honestly given me the goosebumps and slight welling of eyes. Lovely stories.

I know there is a lovely lady out there who I didn't realise I was helping as much as I was at the time. She's grown now. And awesome. But I didn't really know what an impact I had on her life and how much I helped until a long time later. We're still in contact, and it makes me proud.

On a long haul flight back from the middle east when I was 18 my friend i was travelling with and I were not sat near each other. Unfortunately I was instead sat next to a vile bloke. He kept making lewd conversation and referring to how I looked more 14 than 18.. Did I want to appear in pornographic films... etc etc. Absolutely horrifying. He tried to touch my leg too which was the last straw. I fled tearfully to the back of the plane to find an airhostess and complain only to find I'd been followed by a lovely gentleman who it transpired had begun to get the gist of what was happening. He was sat across the aisle with his wife and he swapped seats with me. I was so relieved.

Bumping for the evening crowd!

Mine is a bit trivial but it has always stuck with me nonetheless...
Myself and BF (now Dh) were staying in a hotel and having dinner. Type of hotel that people visit time and again over a number of years. An older couple a few tables away stopped on their way out and told us that we reminded them of themselves many years ago...I just thought it was lovely that they were still happy and still visiting there and eating in that very same dining room. I always think about them when I visit.

I worked in the kids clothes area of a department store as a teenager, and a dad had started getting his daughter to try on suit trousers in the store. He asked me if there was anything else suitable for a wedding, and I pointed him in the direction of some little dresses. He frowned and said his son didn't want to wear a dress, and then said to his son it was ok that he had long hair and it didn't make him a girl, then glared at me.

I'll never forget that dad fiercely defending his son, and it makes me feel very ashamed. I try not to be so judgemental anymore, but I also forgive those who also make presumptions based on appearance.

Just love this thread

Oh and eyedrops

Not a stranger but the triage nurse was very kind to me today I went with a sore eye and ended up breaking down about my menopause there was snot and sobs I ended up coming away with a hug and HRT

About 10 years ago I was just about to pick my two children up from school when i discovered our beloved family cat had been run over. He was lying at the bottom of the drive and not a pretty sight - his head was all covered in blood.

I was obviously very upset and panicking because i couldn't be late for DCs but didn't want them to see him like that.

Family down the road were moving out that day and the woman said i'll pop him in one of our boxes. Turns out she was a vet nurse and had a strong stomach.

So on the walk home i had to explain what had happened, cue lots of tears. When i saw her she said she'd cleaned him up in case they wanted to see him. My eldest did and she had laid him on a towel in the box and there was no trace of blood (i think she even realigned his jaw).

We buried him in the towel.

What an unbelievably lovely thing to do especially on a busy day. It was a shame she was moving out that day.

I had one just the other day. Was walking along a paved path by a lake when I suddenly realised the path had become the top of a wall and it was quite a jump down to the proper path below. DH and DC bumbling along on path below me, squinting up at me wondering what I'd do. Out of nowhere this elderly man appeared and just held up his hand to me. I jumped down, we smiled and he walked off. Just a lovely helping hand out of nowhere.

When I was about 15me and a friend ended up in a dodgy part of Manchester ( mosside) where we had been very firmly told by her parents we were NoT to go.
This was at a time where Mosside was pretty notorious and there were Black anti police riots and all sorts going on
We came out of a club at around 2 and couldn’t find a taxi, we found a phone box ( pre mobiles) but couldnt persuade a taxi to come to that area
A car full of men(white) pulled up and offered us a lift, obviously we said no but didn’t know what to do or how to get home and they were getting persistent.Then another car pulled up and a group of black men got out. They told the other car full of men to leave right now as they were on their “patch” and if they didn’t 2 more cars of their friends would arrive soon.
We were absolutely terrified but as the car left one of the Men turned to us and said “ little girls, what are you doing?” In a very kind voice
We tearfully explained and he said we had to phone our friends Dad for a lift right now and while he might be cross he would be glad we were safe. We did and the men waited until friends Dad turned up and left.
We got the mother of all bollockngs and were grounded but I’m really grateful for those men who rescued a pair of silly little Mc girls who thought they were cool but were totally out of their depth

Could this thread go in Classics. Its just so lovely.

I never met the lady but I'll never forget her.

My daughter was a new mum and living 4 hours away from me. One day she managed to get to the mall to do a small food shop. It was going well so she decided afterwards to have a coffee and feed the baby. As it happens the baby was unsettled and the coffee got told but a lovely lady had been watching and when my girl put her coffee down the woman appeared at her side with another coffee for her. But not only that she said to my daughter you sit here and have a rest and Im going to look after your baby for 15 minutes - I'll be sitting at the next table. My daughter was so tired she handed over the baby and the lovely lady sat at the next table and soothed my granddaughter to sleep.

My daughter told the lady I'll never be able to thank you enough and the lady said to her - there's no need to thank me, just dont ever forget by always helping another mum out.

My daughter has never forgotten and her and despite the fact I didnt meet the woman I'll never forget her either for the care she gave to my daughter and granddaughter when they were far away from me.

Im actually really fortunate when it comes to kindness from others and there have been countless strangers who've touched my life via my now adult son who is severely disabled. One of them was a woman who sat at a table next to us in a hotel and enjoyed my sons happiness about being in EuroDisney as much as I did. She wouldn't leave till we left and on the way out she said to me - Ive just experienced a joyful heart in the purest sense for the first time in a very long time. Thank you.

The school bus driver when I was 11. At that age I was so shy and I’d got on the bus and realised I’d left my bag at the bus stop. I panicked and ran downstairs to tell the driver. He stopped the bus, smiled and winked at me and said ‘can you run fast’? And he waited while I went to get it. He was just so nice to this scared 11 year old.