Flying to Sydney

In September 2000, my husband and I flew to Sydney for the 2nd week of the Olympics. After looking at all the flight choices, we chose a good deal, but it wasn't a straightforward route. We flew midweek from Manchester to Vienna and picked up a flight from Vienna to Sydney. We were at the front of the cabin on the right hand side and there was only one occupant in front of us, in the middle section. I could only see the back of his head and a bit of profile, but registered an an older, grey haired man. After a couple of hours, a meal was about to be served. The man began to play with the salt container, turning it around in his fingers. The movement caught my attention. There was little else to take my attention. Quite suddenly my stomach lurched as a moment of possible recognition came to me. A crew member came across to serve food and I asked her whether the name of the man was a Mr S? It was. After the meal, I went over to the man. " Hello Robert. I don't know if you remember me. I was your children's nanny in 1969." "Hello Rita", he answered immediately. I had last seen him at my wedding in 1970. He had been long divorced from his Australian wife, who had returned to Sydney in the 1970s but was going to see her and his daughter for some of the Olympics. We all met up in Sydney and it was great meeting the family again. If we had been anywhere else in the plane, it would have been unlikely that I would have noticed him.