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

[Backinthe1960s]

It was at my local stamp club. We didn't get many new members turning up so when one did we all to used to make a big effort to make them feel welcome. It was the night of our annual quiz and he and I were in the same team. He seemed a really nice bloke with a vast knowledge of stamps and postal history and I thought he would be a good recruit for the club. Afterwards we went for a quick drink at the local pub, he paid for a drink for the two of us, then he went off towards the gents toilet.

I never saw him again and he never came back to the stamp club. For ages I wondered what happened to him.

A few years ago i got on the train home with Wilf. We were allowed to sit in First Class. Wilf sat in the designated "disabled seat" and i sat ahead of him facing the other way.... For quite a few minutes Wilf kept "Mumma Mumma Mummaing" me quite loudly. A very handsome man facing me looked at Wilf over my shoulder and put his finger to his lips reminding Wilf to be quiet and smiled at me and closed his eyes to go to sleep....Fast forward an hour and Wilf started calling me again........The man got up and walked towards me and i was really expecting an earful for all the noise. Instead he sat in the seat across the aisle from me beckoned Wilf over and said "Well young man as you aren't going to let me sleep you can jolly well teach me some sign language!" He was a really nice man who chatted to us till we got off at Diss and carried our luggage off the train for us!

I live in the most rural backshire going, in a small village.

About ten years ago I was in the chemist and the most gorgeous man came in. He was the spitting image of Brad Pitt when Brad was with Jennifer and good looking. Not like he looks a bit rough now.

Bloke was in a grey suit with a half unbuttoned shirt, tanned, golden hair. He asked the pharmacist where the nearest Drs was and then left. He had an American accent. Got into some silver sports car and drove off.

I was staring opened mouthed after him. Still think about him. I nearly offered to personally escort him to the Drs surgery but realised I had chicken shit on my boots and hadn't brushed my hair. If only Id made more of an effort that day he might have swept me off my feet.

this thread is lovely.

I once gave a gentleman who was homeless some change and he was so grateful, we ended up chatting for ages about my degree and the book he was reading. I passed him a few times and he would always say hello, tell me what he was reading, ask how I was. He really was lovely. I moved away from the area for a few months and when I went back he wasn't there anymore. I often wonder what happened to him, where he went and if he is ok. I never asked how he ended up on the streets, but he seemed like a very intelligent, well spoken,kind person, always reading classic books. I hope he's living a nicer life now.

As a student nurse I did a six week stint at a psychiatric hospital. There were two young men in their twenties who i often think about. One came from a very wealthy family and had a breakdown with the stress of university. The other was a similar age and had a long history of mental health problems.

This was the early 1990's and the hospital was in the process of winding down and rehousing residents as part of "care in the community". When I was working in A&E two years later the second lad was brought in having jumped off the bus station, although he survived. I often wonder how both their lives turned out.

Bumping for more stories!!

At uni I visited a relative at another uni for the weekend. Met a guy in her halls & sat up chatting with him late into the night. Nothing happened except a kiss goodnight and a comment from him about how it was typical of his luck to meet someone he'd really like to get to know who was going halfway back across the country the next day. He was just lovely, I sometimes wonder what happened to him

A few years after we moved into our current house we came across an old man standing outside the gate looking at the house. On chatting to him if seemed that he used to live here with his wife when they were first married (it was her family's house).

We invited him in and he told us a few stories about when they lived here and shed a tear telling us how his wife had died a few years before.

We never saw him again despite this being quite a small town. I doubt he's still alive now. I often wonder about him and hope that he got something positive from his visit to the house and meeting us.

Well done Lottie ! Am loving this thread .

This is a lovey thread.

About 30 yrs ago, I was shopping with a then boyfriend and needed the loo. In the public loos was a woman crying her eyes out but she wasn't coherent enough to find out what was wrong. I persauded my boyfriend to drive her home, he thought she was drunk and didn't really want to but he did. I often wonder why she was so upset and if she was alright.

More recently, I was on a train travelling to Manchester and a young woman (18/19) got on the train and started crying and having a panic attack. I helped her sit down, motioned to her mum on the platform that she was okay and I would look after her. She calmed down enough to say she hated crowded trains and being so close to people. I apologised for rubbing her arm which I had been doing to help calm her down, but it must have been making it worse for her! She was lovely and chatted about her Grandma who she was on her way to stay with. I felt for her and her mum who had to watch the train pull out of the station with her daughter howling.

Not long after my 40th birthday I was with extended family members on a trip to London Zoo on what must have been the hottest day of the year. There were a lot of children and pushchairs and one wheelchair in our group and, although the day had been enjoyable, on the tube on the way home I felt exhausted and sweaty and filthy. At one tube stop, I noticed a very handsome young man - well, not handsome exactly, he just looked quite striking with long curly hair - he looked fun! I couldn't take my eyes off of him and I didn't think it mattered because I felt like an old married woman, frumpy and preoccupied with kids - looking back, I realise how much turning 40 had affected me! Anyway, he suddenly looked up and noticed me looking at him. He held my gaze for a moment as if to be sure I was looking at him and then he laughed incredulously and did this sort of pantomime double take. It's hard to describe how he did this without saying anything but his whole expression and body language clearly said, "Someone as gorgeous as you is looking at me?? I can't believe it!" I had the grace to blush and we both smiled and then the doors closed and the train moved on and I never saw him again. I often think of his good-natured reaction - he made me realise that I was not old and dowdy but, more importantly, that I was still me and not just the person that pushed the prams and sorted the kids out.

I was on a tube when I was 19 and sitting opposite me were a couple in their mid-fifties. The woman was staring into the middle distance with a sort of defiant look on her face, a grimace, jutting her jaw out periodically, and silently crying. The type of cry that's reserved for really serious shit. The man was holding her hand in both of his and looking around the carriage almost like he was warning people away. He looked so protective of her. I often think I wonder why she was crying, but mostly I hope that they're both ok and have found some peace with whatever awful thing had just happened to them.

When I was18 I went to be an au pair in Germany, had an awful experience & left after a week!
On the train, I sat with 2 English guys who lived in Germany working as teachers, they took me under their wing and we talked all through the long journey. I lost them when we got on the night ferry. I wandered about not knowing where to be and was accosted by a crew member who was trying to get me to go to his cabin .
I was trying to be nice but also get away when one of the teachers came& rescued me, they were genuinely nice people just looking out for me, I don't remember much about them except one liked penguins!

I was 21 and had been going out with the man who was to become my husband for a couple of months. I was at a concert and a very handsome man offered me a lift back to the train station but for some very stupid reason I refused. Some part of me tells me that if I had accepted the lift, my life would have turned out very, very different. As it was, I ended up wasting the next 12 years in an emotionally abusive relationship with no chance of seeing him as I was not "allowed" to go to concerts by myself. I often wonder what would have happened if I'd accepted that lift - maybe we'd have died in a car crash or maybe we'd have got on well and I'd have had the emotional crutch I needed to get out of the doomed relationship.

this is a lovely thread.

I've thought of two more- one nice one really not nice.

When I was 17 and one my way to friends house- broad daylight, summer month about 4-5 in afternoon a guy of about 20 came up to me to initiate conversation. He flashed me :( I was scared to death- luckily someone came of of house house further up the street at that point and flasher ran off. I can still remember the expression on his face - grim. Still regret not reporting him to the police - I just hope he didn't do it to anyone else.

The nice one-
I was standing outside restaurant one afternoon. I was 19 and waiting for my on- off boyfriend who was not only messing me around generally but keeping me waiting that day in particular.
My self esteem from all this was pretty much rock bottom.
Whist I was waiting a mother and young boy were walking past he stopped and pulled on his mum, and whispered into her ear- she giggled and said to me her son had asked her if I was a real life princess :) it was the boost I needed when date finally turned up I told him he needn't have bothered after all and waltzed off. Thank you little boy you thinking I was a princess made my day :)

When I was in my 20's I ended up at a crowded party where I only knew one person who I promptly got separated from. I went outside and accidently stepped on broken glass (I was wearing sandals) and my heel started bleeding heavily. I limped into the kitchen and at the same time, the most gorgeous, blond man walked in. He saw I was bleeding and said 'oh dear, let me help you'. He lifted me up onto the kitchen counter, washed my foot and found some band aids to put on my cut. Then he said, 'now let's take your mind off it eh?' and he put his hands on either side of my face and gave me the best kiss I had ever had! Then he smiled and moved on into the crowd and I never saw him again - but I still think of him in a dreamy kind of way.

A bit spooky, I wondered at the time if they were angels.

I was late collecting DS2 from nursery and was forced of a country lane by a big 4x4 driven at speed coming towards me. I had driven over a sharp piece of tarmac and my tyre was ruined. Almost before I could think what to do, I'd just got out of the car, two utterly georgeous blond young men came out of a nearby house and actually lifted the corner of the car to put the spare tyre on. After profuse thank yous I departed and returned the next day with a couple of bottles of wine for them. The house was empty and deserted, so I just left the bottles with a note and left. I did think perhaps they were decorators, builders, potential squatters but tbh I've never seen such a good looking pair of young men in my life, so I prefer to think they were angels.

I was on a recent trip to London with DH and DD. It was DD's first time in London (she's just 6 - was 5 at the time) and had never been on a tube before.

DD is very cute (very tiny, glasses, hair in plaits) and seemed to attract a lot of attention in London from all different types of people, men and women, young and old all wanting to say hello to her and smile at her.

A very handsome chap came and sat next to me, DD was on my lap. He said hello and started chatting to (my very shy) little girl. He engaged her in conversation, told us how he lives in Canada and had flown into London and was going to Essex to stay with his Sister and meet his DNiece and DNephew for the first time. DH was just gazing around the train, not really paying attention, which was a good thing really because this chap and I couldn't take our eyes off of each other. He was so friendly to DD but we were just really drawn to each other. He got off a few stops later, said goodbye to DD, smiled at me and went on his way.

Luckily DH was oblivious but later on DD mentioned him and even 3 days later when we got back, told her Grandfather about the lovely man on the train who sounded funny .

I was parking in McDonalds with the DCs and we parked next to a very nice Aston Martin. I was really careful not to ding the doors when the DCS got out but as we did another car parked on the otherside of the Aston and the man opened his door and scratched the Aston. I felt really bad for the owner of the Aston, his lovely car was scratched. He then came out of McDonalds as we walked away. He was very young and very goodlooking, which was surprising as i thought his car was lovely but a bit of an old mans car. I turned back and approached him and told him the driver of the other car had dinged his door. The owner of the Aston as surprisingly friendly and very sweet and lovely and so so beautiful. He was so sweet to the kids too. We had a quick conversation as i explained how his door was dinged and then i took the DCs into McDonalds for their party.

I kept thinking about him because i was surprised that someone so beautiful would be so sweet and nice. And i assumed he must be famous or something, what with being so beautiful and driving such an expensive car. But i have never identified him. My beautiful stranger who changed the way i feel about handsome rich men - wealth and beauty doesn't always make you an arsehole.

Not a stranger but I'd had a MASSIVE crush on a devastingly handsome man (years ago pre DH). I'm not doing myself a disservice by saying he was way out of my league

On my birthday we were out with friends, in a dark club, all quite merry. Not knowing what possessed me, I asked him where my birthday kiss was. He smiled and gave me a lovely longer-than-usual kiss on the cheek. Feeling brave I propelled him to a bar stool, sat him down, put my hands on his face and snogged him for all I was worth (it was reciprocated btw!).

It was all I imagined it would be and I felt amazing

But I also knew it would amount to zero and just like Love Actually, I told myself that now it was "enough".

I swear I've met the man who should be my stepfather

It was in Kerry, three years ago. He was having tea and cake at the table next to us. He was American, and there was just something about him. He pulled a couple of faces with my little boy, and left, but not before saying 'Maybe next time' to my DS who had refused to wave back.

I thought about him all day and how he and my mother would be perfect for each other , then saw him standing in the rain waiting for a taxi. It was the second chance to 'find him' but there was no room in the car at all, and so we had to drive past.

I still think about him. Whatever makes a stranger remain warm and welcome in your mind years later, he had it in spades.

I lived in Paris in my early 20s.

A man stopped me on a bridge and asked if he could take my photo. I said yes, and he did.

I often wondered who he was and where the photo ended up!

When I was 16 I went to France on a French exchange. At a party I had a kiss and cuddle with an adorable French boy, named Rudi. I sometimes think about him and wonder if he remembers that party when he got off with that Irish girl. I hope he does, he was so cute.

I tend to engage with a lot of strangers but here are a few:

Two years ago me, dp and ds went to Margate for the day. When we got on the train back my foot slipped and I fell down between the train and the platform. I managed to pull myself up and was mercifully not seriously hurt but I was covered in cuts and bruises, and blood. The train guard just stood there and asked whether we were going to get on this train or not. Dp took me off the train as I was bleeding at this point, and a lovely woman got off as well, helped to rince all my cuts with water and was generally lovely while I felt like a complete prat. She told us she only lived in the next town and was going to see her bf who she'd been with for fifteen years but they'd never managed to live together yet. As it turned out that train was the last on-time train of the evening so not only were we delayed but she had been as well. We offered to pay for her to get a taxi home but she wouldn't hear of it and got on a local train about 1.5 hours later. I often remember her.

About a year ago I had just come back from London and had been supposed to meet a client but he had cried off at the last minute so I headed home. As I got on the train a woman made a comment about my guide dog and we got chatting. She told me that she had just been told her own dog had cancer and they were going to have to decide whether to have him pts or not. she said she was having a rubbish week and had felt really ill and just been sent home from work. I just talked to her for a while, and when we got off at the same station I gave her my number and told her to let me know how things were. She texted me her number and I did text a few days later, she thanked me for my kindness and said she hadn't made a decision about her dog yet but I had helped her when she was feeling very low.