link between unrelated "narratives"; a stranger no stranger.

I am the proprietor of Independent Bookshop, Scarthin Books, in Cromford, Derbyshire. From the shop counter one can clearly see the front door, but a part of the shop straight ahead is obscured by bookshelves. Some years ago, a mature lady unknown to me entered and began speaking in baby talk to a toddler hidden behind the shelves. I decided to make a joke out of the apparent absence of any other recipient of her bay talk and said to her "Ahhh, no-one's spoken to me like that in 40 years". She replied, "Oh, but I have spoken to you like that...I used to wait with your mother outside Station Road Infants' School in Conisborough, for my daughter and for you....you must have been five." Conisborough is in South Yorkshire, my family left there in 1950 and I was largely brought up in Northamptonshire, before University in Cambridge and Birmingham and my first "job" which by a long chance was in nearby Matlock. This incident must have happened in the early 80's. Of course, when I got to know the background, the coincidence was partially explained away - her daughter, a regular customer, lived in the neighbouring village of Bonsall (the invisible toddler was her grandchild). She must have recognised my name and maybe previously checked that I must be from the child she remembered. The additional feature that I chose to make the remark I did seems to me to be the really uncanny aspect of this story. I suspect it is significant that this is the most surprising of three or four happenings to me that seem worthy of your attention. I may get around to posting the others.