Mr Richard Lyndon Gwyn Pask

(1) My wife and I live in Gwent, South Wales. In November 2005 we went on an organised touring holiday of Australia. On the tour were two ladies from Scotland, travelling together. We had obviously never met before. We spent nearly three weeks in their company. At the end of the holiday we said our goodbyes, and they flew home on a different flight to us, as we were having an add-on stay of a few days in Bankok. In June 2010, my wife and I went to Edinburgh for a few days (we had not been there together since our honeymoon in 1974. We were walking down the "Royal Mile", which goes from the castle to Holyrood Palace, when my wife said "I think I just saw those two ladies we met in Australia". "Which ladies?" I replied. "You know, those two nice Scottish ladies" she said. "You must be mistaken" I said, but she insisted on running after them (as they had gone some way by now). Lo and behold, when we approached them, they recognised us straight away. The first and last time that we saw them was 12,000 miles away! We had a nice chat and then went on our way again. Will we ever see them again? Who knows! (2) On another touring holiday to Canada in 2009. My wife and I met a couple from somewhere in England, who were on our tour but we had not spoken to them. Whilst on a break in a Canadian "services" on the freeway to Montreal, we happened across them in the shop, where they were buying take-away food for their evening meal. We discussed the merit of buying this food over paying more to eat in a hotel or restaurant (Canadian restaurants load the final bill with a number of taxes and service charges of 15%). After this we had no more conversations with them, as they kept to themselves. In June 2011 we went on a day trip to a seaside resort (Penarth), which is about twenty three miles from our home. We parked our car in a side street and were walking down a hill to the promenade. As we were about to enter a park gate my wife said "I think I just saw that couple we met in Canada". Again I replied "which couple". "You know, the ones who were buying a take-away meal in the services, to take back to their room" she replied. I looked across the street at a couple who walking in the opposite direction and amazingly she was right! I recognised them immediately. However, this time we did not pursue them; and afterwards I wish we had. What are the odds of both couples being in Penarth at the same time. None of us lives there, and I believe they live hundreds of miles away. (3) About 13 years ago I was employed in the offices of a financial services company in Pontypridd, Glamorgan. I had cause to telephone the offices of another financial services company in Swansea (about 45 miles away). I had not made contact with them before. When the telephone answered a voice said "Hello, Pask". I said "how did you know my name?". The voice replied "I beg your pardon". I repeated "how did you know my name?". He said "I don't". I replied "you said my name - Pask". He replied "No, that is my name - Pask". I said "so is mine - Lyn Pask". "Oh" he said "my first name is Pask, not my surname". "I have never heard of someone with the first name Pask" I said. "Well" he said "I am of Italian origin, and my father named me after a Welsh rugby international who played in the 1960s - Alun Pask" he said. I was amazed! Alun Pask was my late brother, who passed away in 1995. He played 27 times for Wales, four as Captain; and also played on two British Lions Tours. When I told the other "Pask" he was also amazed. His actual name was Pasc Arena. Pasc is the Welsh word for Easter. (3) A family friend of mine went on a holiday to watch the British Lions in South Africa in 1997. In one of the hotels they stayed in at Pretoria, was a shop selling souvenirs. The lady behind the counter said "what part of Wales do you live in" (she recognised the accent). My friend replied "a small place called Blackwood, near Newport, Gwent". The lady said "wow, my husband was born near there in a place called Markham, he would love to speak to you about his homeland". They duly met up and the lady's husband said to my friend "my financial advisor is in the U.K., his name is Lyn Pask". "good grief" says my friend "I know him well, he was born a few doors away from my house, and his brother was my best friend". Some months later the South African came over to Wales to visit his ageing mother. He thought he might drop in on me but did not know my address. He called in to a local petrol station and mentioned to the lady behind the counter that he would dearly love to find a chap named Mr Lyn Pask. "Well, I can help you there" she said "I know him well. He lives on that estate about half a mile away, and he lives at No 78". The South African was flabbergasted! "It is true then" he said "everyone in Wales knows each other!".