Cambridge Coincidences Collection

Well I Never!

Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University wants to know about your coincidences!

Mrs. Carole A. Joynes

Some 20 years ago whilst on holiday in California my husband and I were invited to a 70th birthday party given by the birthday girl's four sons. We hit it off with one of the sons and his wife and getting talking we discovered the following: We both have two daughters and a son, Both the wives taught the same year group in our respective countries, We both live in Chesterfield; the American family from Chesterfield Missouri, and ourselves from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, U.K. We have remained friends ever since.

time, date, year

On 20th November 2011 I was having a meal with my grandson (he's 27). He asked me what the date was. I said 20.11. Then I said it's actually 20.11 2011 and if it were 11 minutes past 8 it would be 20.11 20.11 2011. We both looked at the time on his phone and yes - it was 20.11.

Mrs. Thatcher

Two men entered our little shop. One of them kept my elderly mother talking/distracted whilst the other slipped out, entered the kitchen thro' a separate door and stole her handbag. It was quite a loss because it contained money, her keys and credit card. There was in our village a friend and keen fisherman. One day, months later he was fishing six miles upstream from our village, when he hooked something large and inert.

Two old friends and neighbours

I was on a nearly deserted beach in Southern Italy in mid-May four years ago having lunch at an otherwise customer empty beach bar. A couple, strangers to us, walking along the beach saw us and that the beach bar was open and came in for their lunch. We talked over lunch and walked back with them to the village of San Marco di Castellabate at one end of the beach. They were staying at the hotel we usually stay at in September but for this visit we were staying at a hotel in the village, by the harbour/marina. They joined us for a coffee on our hotel beach.

Jersey Boys Show and CD

This week I went to see the Jersey Boys Show in the West End with a friend. The next time I met my friend was two days later. We went for a coffee as we set down some music came on, it was the soundtrack to the show!

meeting old acquaintance

I was a psychiatric student nurse in Salisbury Wilts from 1980-83. In 1982 a Scottish general student nurse called George came onto the ward where I was working to do his psychiatric secondment staying there for 6 weeks. I was his mentor but had no contact with him after he left the unit and neither did I hear anything about him. I later married and moved to a remote area of North-East Scotland. In August 1989 my son came up to visit and we were due to go to Aberdeen but my husband was not very well so instead my son & I decided to go for a drive round.

parents in coincidence

An old friend went on a trip to Africa for several months. On the same trip were a couple (A+C) from Australia. A year or so later they were doing their overseas experience, living in London not far from us so went to have a meal at their house, where I met them for the first time. I noticed that A had some biscuits with a girl guide badge on them and commented because my mum has been in guiding for years. A's mum was also a guider and was on holiday in the UK.

Pascall sweet factory

In 1998 I needed to find an office in London and visited several premises with an agent. I selected suitable offices at 2 Valentine Place, Blackfriars. The morning I moved in I faxed contact details to my father who 'phoned straight back to say that my great grandfather, James Pascall who started a confectionery business in 1866, had built a sweet factory in the area in the 1890s. I reseached the London Directory and old Ordnace Survey maps in the local library and found that I had actually rented offices in the factory building that my great grandfather had had built in 1897.

Transcontinental telepathic VW Beetle

Many years ago, when I lived in the West Indies, I owned a VW Beetle (6V variety). For as long as I had it, over several years, it never let us down, save once. One afternoon, en route to a big family occasion, the engine suddenly stopped, but then restarted after a few moments pause. A few hours later I received a call to say that my mother in England had died suddenly and, as far as we could tell, it must have been within a few minutes of the Beetle's one and only shutdown.

House Renters

Over 20 years ago, we rented out our house for 6 months when we were working away. My husband met the couple briefly to get a lease signed, then our son was in charge. 3 years ago, I was at a linedancing class in Spain, I heard a lady talking and recognized her accent as being like mine and found out she lived quite near to me in UK. On returning home, I phoned to invite her and her husband round for a drink, I told her where we lived and asked if she knew where our road was. She replied that she did, as they had rented a house there quite some time ago. Of course, it was our house!

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