I know there’s a few similar threads on MN but thought I’d start my own.
Here’s one to start with from my dad;
My dad has an uncle who has lived in New Zealand or over 50 years. He’s about 80 now, so this happened 5 years ago.
He wanted to come back to the UK for a visit and to see some of his old stomping ground. He asked if he could stay with my dad and stepmum for about a month ( not sure they were thrilled with having a visitor for a month!) but as they still lived local to where his uncle grew up, dad felt he had to say yes obviously.
Anyway a few week go by and uncle Bob has made arrangements to see some sort of distant relative.I’m not sure how she was related or who she was ,but I think uncle Bob was interested in ancestry websites and the likes. He made several plans to fulfil his itinerary whilst he was in the UK.
Anyway , my uncle Bob doesn’t have a car with him so my dad and stepmum agree to drive him to this distant ‘relatives’house, a woman in her 70s, who lives 30 minutes away. My dad and stepmum get to the house and were thinking that they would drop uncle Bob off to meet this relative, whilst they would pop into the local town for a walk around and a cup of tea. But no, Unlce Bob said he didn’t want to go in alone as he felt a bit nervous about going in on his own( even though he planned it all !) and insisted that my dad and stepmum should come in too!
My dad and stepmum were not overly keen as they didn’t really want to go into a strangers house to make small talk but they go in ,not really having much choice.
They go in, exchange pleasantries and have a cup of tea in the sitting room. All going ok when my dad notices a picture on top of the mantle piece. It was a photograph of three soldiers. My dad recognised all three of them! They had all been in the same regiment at the same time and it was from Northern Ireland in the 80s. My dad obviously questioned the lady as to how she came about the picture.
Turns out that her daughter had once been married to one of the soldiers from the picture , who my dad knew , but was now divorced from him ( Not sure why the lady kept a photo of her ex son in-law, maybe she had a good relationship with him or just liked the picture, who knows, but what an odd coincidence!)
My dad doesn’t do social media or keep in contact with any of his former army comrades but it was certainly a blast from the past!
Going to some strange lady’s house who you know nothing about ,only to find that and old army mate was once married to her daughter and there he is, in a picture, in her sitting room!
One from me- 2007 went to Cancun with two friends. Stayed at a hotel, chatted to other groups of people as you do, while chilling in the pool. There were two ladies together, one was a pub land lady the other was a Policewoman in the Isle of Wight. I’m quite good at remembering faces/ useless information!! Don’t know why..
Anyway fast forward a year and I’m on holiday in the Isle of Wight with new girlfriend ( now DW) and there’s some sort of event going on. Who do I see there on duty? That policewoman, who I chatted to in Mexico a year beforehand ! I didn’t say anything to her, she was busy on duty and didn’t think that she would remember me anyway. Just made me think that it’s a small world. I get the Isle of Wight isn’t that big but even so...
Anyone else experienced any other strange coincidences or have any other stories?