Your best coincidental moments
Discussion
I was at the bar during a gig at the local University when someone squeezed in beside me. I glanced over and thought the bloke looked like Martyn Ware (Heaven 17 / ex-Human League synth botherer). The more I looked the more I was sure it was him. After I got my drinks I asked one of the party he was with and they said yes, it was him.
A few minutes later while I was standing with my group at the back of the hall, Martyn's party ended up standing next to us and he was literally right next to me. Being a bit of a synth-nerd and a big fan of 80's synth-bands I thought I'd say hello. We struck up a conversation most of the night, but all the while I was talking to him, one bloke in his group of mates kept staring at me. I sort of recognised them but in the general murkiness I wasn't convinced it was who I thought it could be.
Gig ended and we all went our separate ways.
A week later while walking through the city I bumped into someone I knew from school days in our home town. We'd been in the same year/classes at primary, middle and high school and we both went to sixth form but after we'd left there our paths hadn't crossed in over 15 years. We stopped and started talking and he asked me how I knew Martyn Ware as he'd been at a gig recently as part of Martyn's group and he'd seen me talking to him. It then dawned on me that the person staring at me was my old school mate. He was as surprised to see me there as I was to see him. His partner was Martyn's nephew and Martyn was in charge of the tour management so had invited them along to the night of the gig that was in their city that night.
Strangely we'd always strongly suspected he was gay from around middle school age anyway so to hear him talk about his partner came as no surprise. If anything it was weird to find your naive childhood instincts validated.
A few minutes later while I was standing with my group at the back of the hall, Martyn's party ended up standing next to us and he was literally right next to me. Being a bit of a synth-nerd and a big fan of 80's synth-bands I thought I'd say hello. We struck up a conversation most of the night, but all the while I was talking to him, one bloke in his group of mates kept staring at me. I sort of recognised them but in the general murkiness I wasn't convinced it was who I thought it could be.
Gig ended and we all went our separate ways.
A week later while walking through the city I bumped into someone I knew from school days in our home town. We'd been in the same year/classes at primary, middle and high school and we both went to sixth form but after we'd left there our paths hadn't crossed in over 15 years. We stopped and started talking and he asked me how I knew Martyn Ware as he'd been at a gig recently as part of Martyn's group and he'd seen me talking to him. It then dawned on me that the person staring at me was my old school mate. He was as surprised to see me there as I was to see him. His partner was Martyn's nephew and Martyn was in charge of the tour management so had invited them along to the night of the gig that was in their city that night.
Strangely we'd always strongly suspected he was gay from around middle school age anyway so to hear him talk about his partner came as no surprise. If anything it was weird to find your naive childhood instincts validated.
I work for a big IT company, but I'd left it about 9 years ago - I'd been working with the new company for 11 months and managed to wangle a junket out to Paris for 4 days.
At the return flight, the gate was changed and I was in what looked to be some 70s throwback section at Charles de Gaulle - when I looked up and saw a woman who, when I worked for the 1st company I used to sit opposite waiting to return to the UK on an unconnected work trip.
Oddly enough, I left that company and returned to the first company to find that my allocated desk was, again, opposite that same woman...
At the return flight, the gate was changed and I was in what looked to be some 70s throwback section at Charles de Gaulle - when I looked up and saw a woman who, when I worked for the 1st company I used to sit opposite waiting to return to the UK on an unconnected work trip.
Oddly enough, I left that company and returned to the first company to find that my allocated desk was, again, opposite that same woman...
abitlikefiennes said:
I was at the bar during a gig at the local University when someone squeezed in beside me. I glanced over and thought the bloke looked like Martyn Ware (Heaven 17 / ex-Human League synth botherer). The more I looked the more I was sure it was him. After I got my drinks I asked one of the party he was with and they said yes, it was him.
A few minutes later while I was standing with my group at the back of the hall, Martyn's party ended up standing next to us and he was literally right next to me. Being a bit of a synth-nerd and a big fan of 80's synth-bands I thought I'd say hello. We struck up a conversation most of the night, but all the while I was talking to him, one bloke in his group of mates kept staring at me. I sort of recognised them but in the general murkiness I wasn't convinced it was who I thought it could be.
Gig ended and we all went our separate ways.
A week later while walking through the city I bumped into someone I knew from school days in our home town. We'd been in the same year/classes at primary, middle and high school and we both went to sixth form but after we'd left there our paths hadn't crossed in over 15 years. We stopped and started talking and he asked me how I knew Martyn Ware as he'd been at a gig recently as part of Martyn's group and he'd seen me talking to him. It then dawned on me that the person staring at me was my old school mate. He was as surprised to see me there as I was to see him. His partner was Martyn's nephew and Martyn was in charge of the tour management so had invited them along to the night of the gig that was in their city that night.
Strangely we'd always strongly suspected he was gay from around middle school age anyway so to hear him talk about his partner came as no surprise. I
f anything it was weird to find your naive childhood instincts validated.
That's pretty cool. I don't think I'd recognise him out of context but I'd recognise Glenn Gregor.A few minutes later while I was standing with my group at the back of the hall, Martyn's party ended up standing next to us and he was literally right next to me. Being a bit of a synth-nerd and a big fan of 80's synth-bands I thought I'd say hello. We struck up a conversation most of the night, but all the while I was talking to him, one bloke in his group of mates kept staring at me. I sort of recognised them but in the general murkiness I wasn't convinced it was who I thought it could be.
Gig ended and we all went our separate ways.
A week later while walking through the city I bumped into someone I knew from school days in our home town. We'd been in the same year/classes at primary, middle and high school and we both went to sixth form but after we'd left there our paths hadn't crossed in over 15 years. We stopped and started talking and he asked me how I knew Martyn Ware as he'd been at a gig recently as part of Martyn's group and he'd seen me talking to him. It then dawned on me that the person staring at me was my old school mate. He was as surprised to see me there as I was to see him. His partner was Martyn's nephew and Martyn was in charge of the tour management so had invited them along to the night of the gig that was in their city that night.
Strangely we'd always strongly suspected he was gay from around middle school age anyway so to hear him talk about his partner came as no surprise. I
f anything it was weird to find your naive childhood instincts validated.
He didn't happen to bring Carol Kenyon, did he? It's a long shot, I know
Went on a roadtrip with a couple of mates to the south of France and then up through the Dordogne region. We stopped at various campsites well off the beaten track and one of them seemed familiar. I took a few pics and then when we got home went round my parents to look through their old holiday albums, turns out we had stayed at the exact same campsite (very much in the middle of nowhere) about 15 years earlier when I was just a nipper.
Here's another one that happened on the same holiday i went on with j4cko
At the airport, see a lad a used to hang about with as a nipper called Moe,
see him again at Faliraki airport, and again in out hotel,
was weird seeing his girlfriend in the evening looking quite nice and presentable, only to recall she was sat around the pool with her Nellies out earlier!
for the benefit of the tape, i wasn't the other bloke with the girl,later in the evening
i was on one of my usual quite normal Baron spells.
At the airport, see a lad a used to hang about with as a nipper called Moe,
see him again at Faliraki airport, and again in out hotel,
was weird seeing his girlfriend in the evening looking quite nice and presentable, only to recall she was sat around the pool with her Nellies out earlier!
for the benefit of the tape, i wasn't the other bloke with the girl,later in the evening
i was on one of my usual quite normal Baron spells.
king doorstep. Every. Bloody. MorningBluedot said:
Went on a roadtrip with a couple of mates to the south of France and then up through the Dordogne region. We stopped at various campsites well off the beaten track and one of them seemed familiar. I took a few pics and then when we got home went round my parents to look through their old holiday albums, turns out we had stayed at the exact same campsite (very much in the middle of nowhere) about 15 years earlier when I was just a nipper.
On a similar note.Went to a conference in Perth in 2000.
Stayed in a resort called Busselton, which was wonderful.
Got chatting to a colleague who worked mentioned to a colleague that I was in the "dog house" with the Mrs as I was away for my 1st wedding anniversary, so was she it turned out. We were married on the same day, in the same year.
Got home, chatting to a neighbour a few months back, they mentioned that they were off to Australia for a holiday as a relative of theirs had an appartment at the same complex I stayed at!
Bluedot said:
Went on a roadtrip with a couple of mates to the south of France and then up through the Dordogne region. We stopped at various campsites well off the beaten track and one of them seemed familiar. I took a few pics and then when we got home went round my parents to look through their old holiday albums, turns out we had stayed at the exact same campsite (very much in the middle of nowhere) about 15 years earlier when I was just a nipper.
Talking to my missus about euro trips on bikes & it turned out we'd both used the same campsite year before we met.This is more of a worst coincidence.
I was underpaid at a previous job. I complained and was told that, if I thought I was underpaid, I should look around since they were convinced they'd paid the going rate. I looked and was offered a role at a competitor at 3x the total comp. The only downside was that I was being hired by the number one in the department and the number two was: a. massively threatened by my arrival; b. not very good at his job; and c. a weapons-grade tosser. No worries, I'd take his role in six months so I didn't really care (especially as I was super-tight with the head honcho).
My contract arrived but, before I could sign, I got a call from the number one chap. He was leaving. However, the new firm still wanted me. I turned the role down.
My current employer was none the wiser. I quietly restarted my job search, kicking myself for my bad luck.
A few weeks later, we were told that we'd made an exciting new hire. My current boss was moving sideways and a new head was coming in. Yup, it was the weapons-grade tosser. He then proved his credentials by ratting me out to the global head. Cue me being flown over to NY for the "please, please don't leave, we've cocked up badly" speech from him (delivered through gritted teeth as it was him that told me I was correctly paid). I was the biggest producer in the department and he couldn't afford to lose me.
I left anyway. The tosser was a disaster and was fired 18 months into a three year fixed contract.
In a way, it was all for the best. What I did next totally eclipsed what I was doing before. It didn't feel comfortable at the time.
I was underpaid at a previous job. I complained and was told that, if I thought I was underpaid, I should look around since they were convinced they'd paid the going rate. I looked and was offered a role at a competitor at 3x the total comp. The only downside was that I was being hired by the number one in the department and the number two was: a. massively threatened by my arrival; b. not very good at his job; and c. a weapons-grade tosser. No worries, I'd take his role in six months so I didn't really care (especially as I was super-tight with the head honcho).
My contract arrived but, before I could sign, I got a call from the number one chap. He was leaving. However, the new firm still wanted me. I turned the role down.
My current employer was none the wiser. I quietly restarted my job search, kicking myself for my bad luck.
A few weeks later, we were told that we'd made an exciting new hire. My current boss was moving sideways and a new head was coming in. Yup, it was the weapons-grade tosser. He then proved his credentials by ratting me out to the global head. Cue me being flown over to NY for the "please, please don't leave, we've cocked up badly" speech from him (delivered through gritted teeth as it was him that told me I was correctly paid). I was the biggest producer in the department and he couldn't afford to lose me.
I left anyway. The tosser was a disaster and was fired 18 months into a three year fixed contract.
In a way, it was all for the best. What I did next totally eclipsed what I was doing before. It didn't feel comfortable at the time.
carreauchompeur said:
J4CKO said:
Got separated from my mates on holiday in Greece but decided to stay out and dance like an itchy Gibbon anyway and was invited back to a girls apartment, nothing transpired but we just sat chatting, then the door went and in walks her mate with my mate in tow, how random is that, in the whole, fairly huge and busy resort, from a different club she meets, completely independently one of the chaps I was on holiday with and drags him back.
...and it all ended up like some perverse 4-legged version of the Eiffel Tower.That happened once before, must have been a theme, a pair of scousers, he "did" his and she was apparently not sated, she had decided I looked a little like the lead singer of the Smiths on account of my slightly quaffed hair at the time, so I enter the room after what I thought was a safe period to be greeted by her "all a glisten" and she goes (in a broad Scouse) "Ere Morrissey, how yer fixed, he hasnt sorted me out here", I politely declined ....
Jimmy Recard said:
That's pretty cool. I don't think I'd recognise him out of context but I'd recognise Glenn Gregor.
He didn't happen to bring Carol Kenyon, did he? It's a long shot, I know
No sign of Carol I'm afraid, unless she was at the bar drinking it dry all night. He was chuffed to be recognised; he said most people mistake him for Ricky Gervais. He was really affable and chatty.He didn't happen to bring Carol Kenyon, did he? It's a long shot, I know
About 30 plus years ago , flying from newcastle to heathrow , noticed a lad who used to attend the same youth club as myself 10 years previously , on getting off the flight we had a chat and found out we were both travelling to Saudi Arabia , both starting work as commercial divers and both starting for the same company.
still have a pint together now...
still have a pint together now...
Booked a last minute skiing holiday , last week of the season and ended up in Alp d Huez , met some canny people in the hotel and ended up having a right old laugh.
Next season , booked last minute and ended up in Kitzbuhel , half way through the holiday skiing with the dragon down a slope when I heard someone shout my name , one of the couples from the year before.
Random I know.
Next season , booked last minute and ended up in Kitzbuhel , half way through the holiday skiing with the dragon down a slope when I heard someone shout my name , one of the couples from the year before.
Random I know.
SO many years ago, I agreed a sale my White XR3i to a Cpl Matt Browne from Bielfeld Barracks (whilst serving in the RAF in Germany). A price of Deutch Mark 12,000 was agreed.
However, he didn't leave a deposit, and I was going on holidays, so I gave the keys to a colleague with all the details - if this guy calls, sell him the car for DM12,000.
When I got back from holidays a few weeks later, my mate said the deal had gone through, Cpl Matt Browne from Bielfeld Barracks had turned up, handed over the DM12,500 for the car and taken it.
I was confused at this point. Why the extra DM 500? Oh well, perhaps the guy had forgotten the agreed price?
Was very happy.
A week later, I got a very very irate phone call. It was from Cpl Matt Browne, Bielfeld Barracks. He demanded to know why I had broken the agreed deal, and why he had seen the white XR3i being driven around his barracks...????
I was utterly confused.
Turned out to be another Cpl Matt Browne, serving at the same Army camp, and wanted to buy the same White XR3i....
Head fu**ed.
However, he didn't leave a deposit, and I was going on holidays, so I gave the keys to a colleague with all the details - if this guy calls, sell him the car for DM12,000.
When I got back from holidays a few weeks later, my mate said the deal had gone through, Cpl Matt Browne from Bielfeld Barracks had turned up, handed over the DM12,500 for the car and taken it.
I was confused at this point. Why the extra DM 500? Oh well, perhaps the guy had forgotten the agreed price?
Was very happy.
A week later, I got a very very irate phone call. It was from Cpl Matt Browne, Bielfeld Barracks. He demanded to know why I had broken the agreed deal, and why he had seen the white XR3i being driven around his barracks...????
I was utterly confused.
Turned out to be another Cpl Matt Browne, serving at the same Army camp, and wanted to buy the same White XR3i....
Head fu**ed.
I was staying at a cattle ranch in the middle of the Australian outback in 2007. Met a fellow traveller there called Matt, bought his Thailand guide book off him. Bumped into him again a few weeks later on Magnetic island off the coast of Australia. Not too unusual.
12 months later I move into my room in halls at university. Knock on the door next to mine... There's Matt again.
(Probability says that someone travelling in Australia is likely to be on a gap year, where everyone takes the same route. They're also likely to be going to university the year after. If they can afford to travel in Australia, they're also more likely to be going to a Russell Group uni, so actually this situation isn't that amazing)
12 months later I move into my room in halls at university. Knock on the door next to mine... There's Matt again.
(Probability says that someone travelling in Australia is likely to be on a gap year, where everyone takes the same route. They're also likely to be going to university the year after. If they can afford to travel in Australia, they're also more likely to be going to a Russell Group uni, so actually this situation isn't that amazing)
Years ago, before the turn of the century, I accepted a job I really shouldn't have been offered in the first place. I spent the next few years barely managing to keep my head above water and was carried by the rest of the team, (I have no issue with admitting it.), including my boss.
That job offer was a real 'Mr Destiny' point and is pretty much pivotal in how my life subsequently turned out, which I'm very happy about.
About 15 years later, (house/Wife/family/etc), I was due to change contracts and for some reason my old boss had been on my mind. I think I wanted to thank him for, (albeit unknowingly), having such a fundamental effect on what I loosely call a career. A few times I thought I caught sight of him while doing the incumbent job but had been mistaken.
So I take up my new post which required that I had to travel a bit so found myself a lovely little 'boutique' hotel in the wilds of Sunderland about 170 miles away from where I live. I had to start the job a couple of days early so I hadn't intended on being there that night but after the first day in the office I retired to the hotel and sat at the bar reading a paper and drinking a beer when I was conscious of someone walking up the the check-in end of the bar.
I didn't pay much attention to them until he opened his mouth and I recognised the voice.
It was my old boss, about 200 miles from where he lives AND he'd only booked the hotel about 30 minutes previously while he was driving up the A19 from a previous engagement.
It got a little messy that night and I got my chance to thank him. (Don't think he quite got his head around what I was thanking him for though!)
That job offer was a real 'Mr Destiny' point and is pretty much pivotal in how my life subsequently turned out, which I'm very happy about.
About 15 years later, (house/Wife/family/etc), I was due to change contracts and for some reason my old boss had been on my mind. I think I wanted to thank him for, (albeit unknowingly), having such a fundamental effect on what I loosely call a career. A few times I thought I caught sight of him while doing the incumbent job but had been mistaken.
So I take up my new post which required that I had to travel a bit so found myself a lovely little 'boutique' hotel in the wilds of Sunderland about 170 miles away from where I live. I had to start the job a couple of days early so I hadn't intended on being there that night but after the first day in the office I retired to the hotel and sat at the bar reading a paper and drinking a beer when I was conscious of someone walking up the the check-in end of the bar.
I didn't pay much attention to them until he opened his mouth and I recognised the voice.
It was my old boss, about 200 miles from where he lives AND he'd only booked the hotel about 30 minutes previously while he was driving up the A19 from a previous engagement.
It got a little messy that night and I got my chance to thank him. (Don't think he quite got his head around what I was thanking him for though!)
Edited by Big Rod on Monday 4th January 14:21
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