Small world stories

1. “I live in Auckland and received a phone call regarding a 1956 Vauxhall Velox I had advertised for sale on Trade Me. The caller said he lived in Gore. I told him I lived in Gore as a child from 1958 to 1962. He asked what street. Joseph Street, I replied. What number? I told him. He said his wife lived a couple of doors down from me as a child. I asked: “Is your wife Joy?” She was! He said he was blown away, phoning a stranger in Auckland and learning that Joy was my childhood friend. I learnt that sadly she had passed away a few months before I had the phone conversation with her husband.”

2. While living in London some local friends called me to ask if I wanted to join them showing two newly arrived girls from New Zealand around town. When we met, we went through the usual routine of where do you come from. One of the girls came from the North Shore and I was from the other side of the bridge. She asked what suburb and I told her the street. She said: “That’s incredible. My boyfriend lives in that street.” I asked what number and when she told me I said: “Wow, that’s incredible. My sister’s boyfriend lives at that number.” She said: “Oh my god, are you X’s brother?”

3. “Work friends were going to be visiting Vancouver at the same time as us and we jokingly said, “Might see you on Robson St!” Ha! Here we were, going up on the gondola to the mountain, and who was coming down on the gondola but our friends. There was hooting and hollering as the two gondolas passed. Other passengers must have thought we were a bit crazy.”