Its a small world

Before the game last night a bloke came over and said to me,"was you on that bus from Barnsley to Wembley for the 1974 Cup Final" Yes I said it was a Arthur Rowe coach for the Liverpool v Newcastle FA Cup final.
I can't remember this fella on the day and I've never seen or met him since.Never seen him at Oakwell either.
Strange almost 50 years on.
Any similar stories.

 

No mate, never been on an Arthur Rowe bus!

 

If I remember correct the bus was dearer than the ticket for the game.

 

I was at the Newcastle v Burnley semi final...2 goals from Supermac

 

You wouldn't forget it if you had. They were notorious for stopping here, there and everywhere before it headed off in the direction of its destination!

 

I was driving along a road in New Brunswick, Canada along the northern road to a place called Bathurst. The road was next to nowhere and had forest all round it. I saw an old bloke thumbing a lift. I stopped and let him in and immediately recognised an accent. I’m from Wombwell and he was from Wath on Dearne. Small world?

 

I used to work for Zanussi. Spent months at the factory in Pordenone north of Venice. Got to know the barman in the hotel of course. Enrico always wanted me to bring him a few bottles of Guinness and a white sliced loaf when I came. Years later I was on holiday on Lake Como and the barman in the hotel look scarily like him. I told this bloke I used to work for Zanussi in Pordenone. He just looked and me and said “Then you will know my brother. Enrico. Barman at Villa Ottobini.”

 

I was living in Australia for a year. One night I fell asleep in a stuper and woke up to find one of my flat mates had a mate round.

Recognising the Yorkshire accent I asked where he was from, and it turned out he was not only from Pontefract, but he was friends with my brother in high school and had been to my parents house for my brothers birthday. I recognised his name, but he'd changed a bit in 15 years or so.

 

Once saw a young couple walking round ruins in Paphos both in Barnsley shirts. Was going to say hello but they seemed to be having a bit of a row.

 

Around 1989/90 I was in Salou with my family.On our last night me and this bloke from Liverpool went into the cellar bar for a couple of late drinks.While at the bar we got chatting to a bloke from Birmingham,nice man probably spent maybe a hour tops with him.Forward 12 months on and me the wife and son were in Breen Sands Somerset.Wife and son went on the big wheel with me volunteering to take some photos (dont't like heights).While stood there somebody came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder,it was the bloke from Birmingham who I met only one time a year ago in Spain. Odds on that?

 

Once went to see a band and the support act didn’t show up. So they announced that they were bringing in some last minute local band to fill in.
Anyhow, they turned up and began their set but were truly terrible and the audience weren’t shy of letting it be known either.
Mid-set, I was going to the toilet (to give my ears a rest mainly) and, joining in with the crowd, belted out a loud but lighthearted ‘boo!’.
At that point, the red haired angry looking woman, on bass guitar, stepped forward, nudged the lead singer (well, shouter) to one side, took to the microphone and shouted “(called me by my full name) you were a wnaker at school and you’re still a wnaker now!!!”.
Shot me right down, she did.

 

My Grandma emigrated to a small town in Ontario called Prince Albert, population about 2000.
She came back to our wedding in 95 which was at Hollins Hall. At the evening reception there was on old fella at the bar that neither family recognised. He was a hotel guest who had wandered in without realising. He apologised profusely on realising . A strong North American accent, we asked where he was from.
Prince Albert, Ontario.

I have another one about my Grandma's family too some time.

 

There's a big roundabout / junction in Edinburgh with 2 roads going off to the docks, parallel ish. One is Leith Walk, the other Easter Road.
When I worked for B&Q there were 7 stores in Edinburgh and I always struggled to get to the small Easter Road store as when I get to the roundabout I invariably took the wrong lane and got shunted down Leith Walk.
Not a problem, as every week all I did was look right down the rows of terraces for the red shed, turn right and job done. I even parked on the terraced road - Iona Street - to save taking up a space in the small car park. This was 1998.
Some years later, when making a concerted effort to sort my family tree, I traced my great- Grandmother - Emma Meek - to Edinburgh. She died when I was 2 but I do have vague memories of her. She left for England before WW1, leaving her tenament block on Iona Street, Edinburgh.

 

Called at Victoria rd miners office to sort pension out for mi mam after mi dad had died.
Bloke at window Asked mi name. Told him and he said "tha'll be related to Arthur Scargill then". I said yes, apparently so. (It's a bit complicated, if anyone knew Arthur's family tree it'd become clear). But then the coincidence became a bit of a wtf.
He then asked where mi mam lived. I told him and he said "I was born in that house" (as was i) Mi mam n dad applied for a council house preferably in Jump. And was offered one in wombwell. This lads parents wanted to move to wombwell and they were allowed to swap without my parents having to move to wombwell. Living with my Grandparents at the time.

Another
Went to Prague. Got to the reception desk at the Hotel. Met young man at the desk. We told him our names. He said in his best, Monk Bretton accent. "Bet you're frum Barnsley." Lol. Apparantly married a Czech lass. After they met at uni.

Another
Eatery in Florida.
A Waiter. listening in to our conversation. Said "Are you from England/Barnsley" in his American twang.
I said "Yes how do you know." He said all the other staff listening in were loving our accents. He guessed and told em.
Apparantly he went to the Uni of Huddersfield. Barnsley campus.

 

Me and the wife went to Porto in 2019 for nations league. On our last day went on sandemans port house tour. At the end of tour was put in a table to try our ports with a guy and his son. Got talking, I asked where you guys from very similar accent to ours, Barnsley came the reply, so are we. Which part of Barnsley, Huddersfield Road we live in old town. Wife asks where do you work, Rochdale council, wife replied my cousin who lives over there works for them, gave the guy her cousins name, she was his boss. Spooky.

 

There used to be a copper in Barnsley called Meek. I used to work with his lad Tony.

 

I went to see Bon Jovi at Anfield with Sparky.
In the pub after the gig i got speaking to a “scouser”
He asked where we were from. I said the other 3 were from Barnsley but I was from Dundee.
Ffs he said I’m from Dundee. Fintry in fact. I said that was where my ex wife was from.
I said you don’t sound like you come fae Fintry and he said he had to change his accent because no one knew what he was saying.
Hard to believe, I know.
Anyway small world.

 

the only cup final which i have been to.
The ticket was floating around the Dalesman after our Sunday League match. I put me hand up for it and I went down on a bus from Barnsley. It must have been your bus.
I was in the Geordie end and they were well beaten by Kevin Keegan.
The distance runner Brendan Foster won the race around the pitch at halftime... Singing, "Brendan is a Geordie" .. they didn't have much else to sing about that day..

(glad I went)

 

Now this is worrying.
I can remember that cup final from 74.
But I cannot remember last years FA cup final. ☹️