Where I live

1. We live in a semi detatched farmhouse in a small village in rural Bedfordshire. Our previous neighbours moved out and another couple moved in. Talking over the fence a week or so later I explained that I had orginally come from London. They said that they had previously lived in London for a few years. I asked where: they said Teddington. I said that, although we had grown up in the Brixton area, my older brother had lived in Teddington for a few years before he moved to Cape Town....whereabouts were you? Oh a little terraced side-street called Railway Rd. Ok-ay..what number? No. 17. Interesting....my brother lived at No.16. So, they lived next door to my brother for 3 years (and knew him to talk to), and then, 7 years later (with about 55 miles, and a few million people in between) moved next door to me. 2. I was born in a house (called South Cottage) behind a row of shops in New Park Rd, which lies on the borders of Brixton, Clapham and Streatham in south London. After moving around a bit with my work, I moved to Bedfordshire just over 19 years ago. I changed my job 10 years ago, to an organisation based in Bedford that employs around 350 people. A few weeks after joining I was talking to a woman from a different dept (as we met on the stairs) who had worked there for some time. She noted my London accent and explained that she had also come from 'the smoke'. Oh yeah, whereabouts? The Brixton-Clapham area. Ok-ay....which street? New Park Rd. Interesting...wherabouts in New Park Rd? Oh, a little white house tucked behind the shops called South Cottage. It turns out that she, being a few years older that me, had lived there as a small child, and then, as the family had grown, they had moved to a bigger place. When they moved, instead of selling, they rented it out...to my parents, in 1960. Four years later I was born there. So, 42 years (60 miles and a few more million people) after her parents had rented their home to my parents I met this lady on the stairs, and we talked..about where we grew up. Don't think I'm going to be winning the lottery any time soon!