Tuesday, August 31

How To Have Whatever Success We Want

James DysonI've always been interested in why some people are successful and others, who appear to try just as hard, aren't.

Success, of course, means different things to different people but, for the purpose of this post, I'm initially talking about business success.

What I have noticed, over the years, is that the truly successful are helped along the way by coincidences and by following leads placed before them. In other words they follow the signs and accept the help offered. Whereas many ignore the power of intuition and the obvious in front of them.

I'll give a few examples of things that have helped some of the top British business men and women.

James Dyson, the guy who invented the bagless Dyson vacuum cleaners, got the idea because he was vacuuming his living room and found that the suction was pretty poor. He soon realised this was because air drawn into the cleaner had to travel through the paper bag inside - which soon got clogged up with dust.

He had once worked in a spray finishing room and remembered how the same thing kept happening to the air filter - it kept on clogging. The answer then was to fit a huge cyclone tower, which removed the powder particles by centrifugal force.

A light lit up in James' mind: what about if you fitted the same principle in a vacuum cleaner! The idea of the Dyson cleaner, which all of the other major manufactures have now virtually copied, was born.

The past is often linked to the 'now' as we have seen in many coincidence examples on this blog.

In the case of Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop chain of stores, when she needed money she locked onto the memories of her travels in Madagascar, Africa, Mauritius, Australia and so on.

In Tahiti she had noticed how the skin of even the elderly women remained soft, smooth and elastic despite constant exposure to the sun. Their secret was cocoa butter. This is what gave Anita the idea of starting a shop selling a range of cosmetics made from natural ingredients.

She followed her instincts and started her first shop, just as James Dyson followed his and came up with the Dyson cleaner.

The Body Shop is known for it's dark green paint work, but this was just an accident. It was chosen simply because it was the only colour that would cover the damp patches on the walls of her first shop.

Anita could well have stuck with just the one shop but one day, out of the blue, Chris Green contacted her and said she was interested in starting up her own Body Shop. This was agreed, on the understanding that it would still be called the Body Shop and that Anita would supply all of the products.

Without realising it, this was the first Body Shop franchise. Anita thought about this and saw it as a way of expanding her business. She took the necessary action for this to come about.

And this is what happens with successful business people, something comes about to help them along the way. With Richard Branson, and his Virgin Group, it was the 1971 postal workers strike.

Richard BransonAt the time Richard made his living selling records by mail. The strike went on for weeks - this 'forced' him to set up a retail premises and the first Virgin store was opened in Oxford Street, London.

He was 'helped' further along the road to success by meeting Mike Oldfield who created his masterpiece Tubular Bells while staying at Branson's house. This became the very first listing on Virgin Records and so the story continued.

Successful business people know they want to be successful, so they think success. Doors open. It's a mind thing, they don't have to be a brain box, they simply know what they want.

Michael Marks knew what he wanted. He was an immigrant to Britain and couldn't even speak English but he needed to make money. He met Isaac Dewhirst who gave him £5 to start a business, this was a while back in 1884.

With the money he bought goods from Dewhirst's warehouse which he started to peddle around local villages. To cut a long story short this was the start of Marks & Spencer, the well respected UK store chain.

From selling door to door, to having a market stall, to his first shop, to meeting with Tom Spencer a multi-million business was born.

Okay, so we may not want a successful business. We may want happiness, a loving family or a myriad of other things. The point is that everything is possible once we know what it is we really want - this is actually often the hard bit. Many people have no idea what they want from life so, to be brutal, they don't get much.

Once we know what we want, whether that be spiritual knowledge, money, happiness, travel, a business or absolutely anything whatsoever - if we ask the universe for help and guidance, and have belief that we can achieve what we want, things will start to fall into place.

It's up to us to decide if we'll follow those leads, coincidences and openings and achieve our form of success. If the likes of Dyson, Roddick, Branson and Marks can achieve their dreams so can we, whatever the road we choose to travel.

"Everyone has ideas. They may be too busy or lack the confidence or technical ability to carry them out. But I want to carry them out. It is a matter of getting up and doing it."
- James Dyson


Further Reading:
Book suggestion: The 7 Secrets of Synchronicity: Your Guide to Finding Meaning in Signs Big and Small

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Monday, August 30

Man Sees Himself As A Child On A 40 Year Old Video

A short coincidence story today which I saw in the Bournemouth Echo.

Andy Ashley had quite a surprise when, on a visit to Bournemouth, he paid a visit to the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum. They were showing a 1969 video illustrating how Bournemouth had changed as a tourist destination over the years. He then noticed a small boy playing with a toy boat on screen and must have thought, 'He looks familiar.'

He then realised that he was the small boy! That's Andy in the forefront of the photo (a screen shot from the video) stepping out of the stream. He remembers playing with the small yacht all those years ago.

Andy told the Bournemouth Echo, "It is quite an amazing coincidence that over 40 years later I should happen to see the video and recognise myself on it."

A spokesperson from the Russell-Cotes Gallery added, "It was an amazing coincidence. What are the odds? There were quite a few videos we could have chosen but we chose that one. It must have made their visit."

Andy Ashley, who lives in Nottingham, just happened to be in the right town at the right moment to get a special glimpse of his past.

Further Reading:
Married Couple In Same Photo As Children
Bizarre Coincidence Of Newspaper Photos Gets Man Arrested
The 1914 Photo Coincidence

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Sunday, August 29

67 Not Out Readers Coincidences - 3

A selection of coincidence stories today from 67 Not Out readers. I've received them by email and also in comments on various blog posts. Thank you all for your contributions.
grandma clip artShe dreamed of her grandma's death

I had a dream the night before my great-grandmother passed away. I hadn't seen her in about a year as she lived in another state and I hadn't talked to her in about a week. I found out later this was because she was in a coma.

In the dream I had been in my room when the phone rang, I answered it and I heard my grandma. the conversation went like this.

"Hey Grandma"
"Hello Bree"
"How are you doing? I miss you a lot"
"I haven't been feeling too well, I miss you too"
"Well at least I'm coming out next month then I can see you and mom and the rest of the family"
"They will be so happy to see you. I wont be there though I am leaving this week. I love you. I have to go now"
"I love you too. Maybe you'll be back from your trip by the time I get out there."


That is where the conversation ended and I hung up the phone. The next morning my dad came in my room and told me my grandmother had passed away earlier in the morning. This happened in December of 2005. I was 11.

- Breanna.

Her subconscious found her ring

After reading many of your posts, I came across this one How Dreams Solve Problems And Questions. I recently lost a ring my boyfriend gave me. So before bed one night I asked my subconscious mind to reveal where it was hidden. The next day I was in the mood for cleaning and I came across my ring! I truly believe this technique helped me find it.

Thanks for the help.

Bumping into a friend miles from home

Hiya Mike.

I've enjoyed reading about your coincidences and thought I'd share one of my own with you.

It happened at the end of a family holiday in Portugal. We had been staying out in the countryside but were to return home from Faro (the capital city). Upon arriving at the airport it turned out that our flight was delayed to such an extent that we were to be put up in a hotel in the city.

When we got to the hotel we were told that a buffet had been laid out for the delayed passengers on the roof floor, which was also where the hotel pool was situated.

As we got to the roof and rounded the corner to the pool area my mother quite literally 'bumped into' a woman who turned out to be her work colleague. She was staying in that very hotel. It has always struck me as an amazing coming together of time, place and circumstance.

Her lucky number 9

I just had the urge to share this:

The number 9 comes up too often in my family, especially in relation to me.

My parents were married on the 9th day of the ninth month (September).

I was born exactly a year later on the same date (9/9).

My dad's birthday is on the 9th of May.

Our house number is 23/4 which adds up to 9 and our telephone number also adds up to 9 - something which we didn't realize till recently.

There are more smaller details which have also fascinated me. I thought I was the only one trying to read between lines...

- Ruchi

It all happened on the same date

My mom, RIP, passed away on the same day her mom passed, 45 years before. Then five years later I met my future wife, only to find out that it is also her birthday!

The squirrel fell out of the tree

Once, me and my friend were sitting in a park having a smoke on a bench. We were talking about a television program we saw, in which a squirrel had to decide if it was going to get eaten by a jungle snake or jump out a a tree from high up in the branches. The squirrel decided to jump.

I brought up the question to my pal, "Would the squirrel have died?"
Literally 15 seconds later a squirrel fell out of the tall tree we were sitting under and ran off. I guess our question was answered!

- Nick

Re post: How To Get A Car Parking Space Using Visualisation

I live in a small neighborhood with only one busy intersection connecting two towns. Every time I'm in the car with my mom, when we start heading for the intersection, my mom always says, "See it in your mind, no traffic, no red light, no waiting." When we reach the light it is just turning green and, of course, there is no traffic. I always thought it was so bizarre.

- Marissa

If you have a coincidence or synchronicity story, suitable for 67 Not Out, and would like it published, please send it using the Contact button at the top of the page. Thanks - Mike.

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Saturday, August 28

The Cornish Mystery Of The Men-an-Tol Stones

I thought I would do an occasional post about some of the mysteries in Cornwall, where I live. I'm starting off with Men-an-Tol, which is sometimes referred to as the Crick Stone or the Devil's Eye.

Men-an-Tol, Cornwall
Men-an-Tol means, in the Cornish language, 'stone and hole' which very much describes what it is, as can be seen from the photo above.

The stones are believed to be from the Bronze age and, if this is correct, would mean they are over 3500 years old. As to what they actually are or signify is debatable. They may once have been part of a circle of stones - which would have given it a ritual significance - or alternatively they could have been part of a burial chamber - the hole being for access.

These ancient stones have much folklore attached to them and are said to have a fairy or piskie guardian who can carry out various cures. With the obvious feminine symbolism it is claimed that if, at a full moon, a woman passes through the hole backwards seven times she will become pregnant.

Men-an-Tol, Cornwall, EnglandMen-an-Tor is said to heal many ills. It was famous in olden times for curing scrofula (lymphatic tuberculosis) and rickets in children. The children were passed naked three times (or some say nine times) through the hole to effect the cure. Adults can gain relief from bad backs by crawling through the opening nine times. Radiation levels around the inside edges of the hole are said to be nearly twice that found in the background environment, maybe this has some significance.

The stones have been used for telling the future. In 1856 Robert Hunt wrote that the holed stone could answer any question. Two brass pins would be laid crosswise on top of each other on the stone and would move by themselves, dependent of the question asked.

Rituals may also have once been taken place here with the hole aligning to other ancient sites or as a window into other worlds or dimensions. It has also been suggested that passing through the stone could have signified a ritual re-birthing process, perhaps performed as a rite of passage or to ensure fertility.

Whatever mysteries the stones hold it is a magical place, perhaps even a psychic powerhouse.

Further Reading:
The Cornish Mystery Of The Trevethy Quoit Stones
Mystery Of The 3D And Other Corn Circles
Near Death Experience Changes A Womans Life
The Mystery Of The Angels Of Mons

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Friday, August 27

The Electric Human Magnets

Human magnetA woman has been in the UK newspapers recently because she has an unusual power - metallic objects stick to her body.

This human magnet is Brenda Allison and, as well as metal sticking to her, her body also sets off car alarms, interrupts her television signal and blows light bulbs.

She has had this power, for want of a better word, since she was a child. Even back then her mother was always having to call the television repair man and her watches would simply stop.

Brenda explained, "Metal objects don't fly towards me, but when I put them close to my skin I can feel a pull. They tend to stay on longer when they are near a bone, I don't know why. They can stay on me for up to 45 minutes without me touching them. Sometimes I feel like a fridge covered with magnets."

The magnetic attractions for Brenda are cyclical, being stronger at the end of each menstrual cycle. She says that her body can actually emit a negative or a positive charge. Depending on the time of the month she will actually repel some objects and attract others.

So is Brenda Allison unique? It seems not. In Sofia, Bulgaria a contest was set up to see who could keep metal objects on their bodies the longest. Over 300 people claimed to have this ability and turned up to compete.

There is a documented case where in 1920 thirty-four convicts at New York's Clinton Prison somehow became electrically charged. They were all suffering from food poisoning at the time. Paper stuck to their hands when they tried to throw it away and compass needles swung wildly.

Brian WilliamsIt was only after the illness started to ebb that the effects diminished.

There was also the case of Brian Williams (photo left) from Cardiff, Wales who could light up a lightbulb just by rubbing it with his hands.

There are dozens of examples of electrically charged people like 8 year old Svetlana Glyko (photo below right) who can hold combs, teaspoons and other small objects to her forehead.

Our brains are a magnetic field and we all have a subtle electro-magnetic field flowing through our bodies, though most of us aren't aware of this. Maybe, in the examples mentioned, these people have a stronger charge in their bodies.

Svetlana GlykoElectricity is also, according to some theories, the cause of poltergeist and such things as human combustion, thoughtographs and even the halos as seen around religious figures.

In May of 1934 there was the case of Italy's Luminous Woman. Signora Anna Monaro became a worldwide sensation. She was an asthma sufferer and when she slept she emitted a blue glow from her breasts. This was described, at the time, as an electrical phenomenon.

Electricity is within us, perhaps if we could learn how to control this we could become empowered in many ways ... but that's perhaps another story.

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Thursday, August 26

By Coincidence A Man Stumbles On A Missing WW2 Grave

This is a coincidence which revolves around Richard William Edwards (Bill) and his next door neighbour William Eric Killey. Two men who, like many others, took part in active service during World War II.

The story is in the words of Bill's son Philip Edwards. Here is what he writes:

William Eric Killey"I was always fascinated to hear my dad's wartime exploits. At the time, we lived in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

Nearly every Sunday as a child, in that limbo time after Children's Hour and Sunday Night at the London Palladium being on television, in my imagination I'd march with my dad through the desert of North Africa: me, dad and Monty.

Some nights, he'd bring out his leather wallet full of treasures from North Africa, and we'd sit down and mull through them together.

Sadly, he died in 1998. The leather wallet was passed on to me.

I used the material from the wallet to create some learning materials for my school children (I teach 10 year olds). Deep down in the wallet I found a newspaper clipping which told the story of my dad's next door neighbour, William Eric Killey, and how he was lost at sea. I added the clipping to the material because it showed that war isn't a Boy's Own Adventure, but something that is sad and serious.

Last Summer, my wife and I took a trip to the Scilly Isles. What a wonderful holiday destination. Why would anybody want to go to Spain?

Anyway, on the last day of the holiday, we walked over to Old Town and looked around the graveyard to find Harold Wilson's grave (ex UK Prime Minister). It took some finding, but eventually we found his resting place.

Then, on the way out, something really strange happened. I tripped and stumbled. My hand reached out to a gravestone to steady myself. Then I noticed the name on the grave: William Eric Killey. HMS Warwick.

Strange coincidence? Or did he want to be found?


This story is also published on WW2 Peoples' War which is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC.

Further Reading:
Bizarre 1914 Photo Coincidence
Is Afghanistan History Repeating Itself?
Coincidences Which Solved Mystery Of WW2 Giant
General Montgomery's Double

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Wednesday, August 25

Numbers 9 And 11 In New York Visit

A story today from Karen about seeing the numbers 9/11 on a trip to New York.

Numbers 9 and 11I'm not sure how much of a coincidence or synchronicity this is, or if it's even either, but this is my story.

I'm from England and during September 2006 my friend and I visited New York City. After a good night's sleep on our first night in the city, my friend woke up suddenly - she doesn't know what startled her but the time on her clock was 9:11. She wanted to wake me but didn't, and just told me about it later instead.

On the following day we were walking in the evening and a man asked us what the time was. It was 9:11 which felt quite creepy.

On the last day of our break, we went to lower Manhattan and whilst down there next to the Courthouse, I got a call from my partner in the UK. He said he would be at work when I arrived home the following morning and that he would give our house keys to my father.

It costs me money, while in the US, not only to make but also to receive calls (89p to receive and £1.49 to make a call). As my talk-time ran out during my partner's call, I 'topped-up' my phone.

With a zero balance in my phone I put a further £10 on it and then made a call to my boyfriend.

It appeared to be calling him when all of a sudden I got this really loud grinding sort of noise that made me pull the phone back from my ear.

I looked at the screen and the call appeared to end, and my balance came up on screen - you guessed it: 9.11.

Now sorry to state the obvious but I made the call so it should have deducted 1.49 so the balance should have been 8.51. Is this all just a coincidence?

I spoke to someone who reckons she knows about numbers and she said if I add 9+1+1 it equals 11 and then if I add the 1+1 I get 2. Therefore the number 2 is my Life Path and that's why I'm aware of seeing the 9 and 11s.

She went on to say, amongst other things, that this meant I had a spiritual quality and I was one of the peacemakers in society.

I'm undecided as to whether the numbers are meaningful or if I'm simply imagining stuff.

- Karen

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Tuesday, August 24

The Reincarnation Of The Cathars Priest Roger de Grisolles

Cathars being expelledA story today featuring the author and psychiatrist Arthur Guirdham (1905-1992) and about his belief in mass reincarnation.

Guirdham's belief in reincarnation started following his seeing a patient, who was referred to him because of possible epilepsy. She had been having strange nightmares, since a teenager, where she felt that she was a peasant girl in Toulouse, France in the thirteenth century. In her dream her family befriended a priest named Roger de Grisolles who eventually died in prison. The girl was burnt at the stake.

A strange dream but even more bizarre was the fact that Arthur Guirdham had also had dreams since childhood similar to those of his patient.

Mrs. Amanda Smith, his patient, told him that she recognised him as being Roger de Grisolles as featured in her nightmares. Guirdham became convinced that this was true.

Guirdham did some research and found out that there was a priest by that name, who was murdered in 1242. Both the girl and the priest were members of the medieval religious sect called Cathars. The picture, top right, shows the Cathars being expelled.

The Cathars were persecuted and eventually wiped out by the Inquisition in southern France. Records of their trials still exist in Church records.

This wasn't the end of the story though as more women, from the Bath area in England, started coming forward saying that they too had related flashbacks to the 13th century. This brought Guirdham to the conclusion that an almost unbelievable occurrence had happened - mass reincarnation.

Going back to Mrs. Smith, as the book The Cathars & Reincarnation describes, she was able to record songs from the Cathar period, which were later found in the archives of the Languedoc region of France. She was also able to draw and describe old French jewellery, coins and even the layouts of various buildings of the thirteenth century and in particular a Church where religious prisoners were held.

Many readers will no doubt not accept this story as being proof of reincarnation, even though Arthur Guirdham was a respected psychiatrist - he was a skeptic on the subject himself until he met Mrs. Smith - but it's very puzzling how this woman could have possibly known such details about the Cathars. Especially as she recorded songs from the period in a diary when only 13 years of age. It was not until years later that these were proved to be correct.

It's up to us to decide for ourselves as to whether reincarnation is fact or fiction. I must say that it rings true to me.

Further Reading:
10 Stories About Reincarnation
The Reincarnation of James Fletcher
Astral Travel By Hypnotherapy

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Monday, August 23

Photos Of The UFO Clouds

Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA
UFO cloud
Many skeptics do their best to dismiss UFOs, and it's true that many turn out not to be the real thing. Along with the likes of weather balloons, satellites and so on lenticular clouds can also be mistaken as UFOs.

I've put together a collection of photos showing these lenticular clouds and I guess some do look the traditional, what I see as 1950s, UFO shape. See what you make of the pictures. I actually like clouds no matter what they turn out to be. Oh, and yes, I do believe in aliens and UFOs.

Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA
Lenticular clouds
Colorado, USA
UFO lenticular clouds
South Georgia Island
Lenticular clouds
Loch Broom, Scotland, UK
Clouds often mistaken for UFOs
South Georgia Island
UFO clouds
Over Antarctica
Lenticular UFO clods over Antartica
Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, Hawaii.
Lenticular cloudsPhoto Source

Further Reading:
Alien Visitation And UFO Sighting
Dream Or An Alien Encounter?

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Sunday, August 22

April Is The Cruelest Month Coincidence

Here's a 67 Not Out reader's coincidence who wishes to remain anonymous. It's all about the date April 15th.

TS Eliot signatureI feel compelled to share with you a remarkable set of coincidences concerning a date. For some reason, as a child I was always fascinated by the Titanic disaster of April 15th 1912.

Despite myself being Welsh my father's family hail from Nottingham and thus I have been a life long Nottingham Forest soccer fan. They were, of course, Liverpool's Semi Final opponents on the day of the Hillsborough Disaster which occurred on April 15th 1989.

It gets even weirder from here.

My mother died on April 8th 1997. The funeral was set for a week later April 15th which also happened to be the 30th birthday of my partner at the time.

Coincidentally (again) on the way to the crematorium there was a banner with 'Happy 30th Birthday' written on it hung over a sign on a roundabout.

Two years later in 1999 I moved to a new flat and was given the moving in date April 15th. On arriving at the flat the electric failed and I had to stay with friends.

I believe it was T.S.Eliot who wrote 'April is the cruelest month' (from Eliot's Waste Land poem). Needless to say I tend to stay in on April 15th nowadays.

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Saturday, August 21

The Old Soldier Coincidence Story

A coincidence example about an old soldier and how he was able to contact the person who rescued him over 50 years ago during World War 2.

Flushing
It was supposed to be 23 year old pilot Jack Dack's 33rd and final mission before heading back to Melbourne in Australia. As he flew over Holland on October 23rd 1944 his Lancaster bomber was shot down by enemy fire.

Before the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) pilot knew what was happening he found himself virtually unconscious in the ice cold River Sheldt at Flushing and was slowly drowning. His crew had been killed.

A German anti-aircraft marine spotted Jack through his binoculars and did a remarkable thing. Against the orders of his officers he set out in an inflatable dinghy to try and rescue him. It was brave to do as, besides ignoring his officers wishes, there was a gale blowing, the river had a fast current and he had to travel through minefields.

The Gods were on his side and he managed to rescue the injured Aussie airman, though Jack Dack remembers very little of this. He was taken prisoner but his life had been saved.

The RAAF pilot always wondered who had saved him from certain death.

Winding forward over 50 years, Jack had a friend in Holland and he had been reading a local newsletter. In this there was a story about a German who, during the war, had managed to rescue what he thought was a British airman from the river at Flushing.

Jack's Dutch friend sent him the article, which was about a soldier called Hans Bannick of Kiel.

As good fortune often goes in coincidence stories Jack's son, Stuart, happened to be working in Germany at the time of the article being received. He managed to find an address and phone number for a Hans Bannick in Kiel.

A very nervous Jack made a phone call to Germany and sure enough it was Hans who had rescued him all of those years ago. Jack has written: "He answered the phone himself and he spoke English and he was my rescuer. We had a long and happy talk. Since then we have exchanged before and after photos and stories."

Since the phone call the two old soldiers have met face to face and Jack said of this "The first thing I said to him, in German, was thank you, thank you, thank you for 57 years of my life."

As for the Hans Bannick he remembers how an officer told him that it was senseless to go and risk his life for an enemy as he was a terrorist airman who had participated in allied air raids on the Heimat (Homeland) and who perhaps had tried to murder his relations in Germany.

Bannick, however, ignored this and ventured out into the river without a helmet or weapons and carried out the rescue.

Though this is essentially a coincidence story we can all probably read much more into it.

For those interested in such things Jack Dack's Pilots Record can be seen here.

Further Reading:
Coincidences Which Solved The Mystery Of The WW2 Giant
General Montgomery's Double In WW2
The Mystery Of The Angels Of Mons
Egg Custard Or Lucky Coincidence - WW2 story

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Friday, August 20

Police In London Apprentice Precognition

Police at the side of the A390 road, Cornwall

My wife and I had to go somewhere this morning by car and before leaving home I had this feeling that we would see lots of policemen. I realise this is easy to say, as I can't prove it - so you'll have to trust me!

We did what we had to do and I suggested we go somewhere for a walk. I drove to a regular spot of ours and parked the car.

After our walk we headed home. I said to my wife, "We'll have to go slow through London Apprentice* as there will be a speed trap."

No idea where this came from but, sure enough, as I drove through the 30 mph area there were several police with speed guns checking how fast vehicles were travelling.

I thought this must have been what I 'felt' when we set out first thing. As I neared home, however, there seemed to be police galore and they were pulling in lots of cars, searching them and checking car tax, insurance and so on. I've no idea what they were checking with this man on the right - looks to be something to do with the petrol (gas).

Luckily I avoided this but I snapped a few quick photos of the police at work.

I know it's a theme I've mentioned quite a few times but I find that it pays to heed feelings or intuition - it could save a speeding ticket, or much more besides.

* London Apprentice is a small hamlet in south Cornwall. The most likely reason for the name is with reference to a sailor who, unable to get work in the 1700s, travelled to London to get a trade. He therefore became known as the 'London Apprentice' once he returned to Cornwall. First mention of the name dates back to 1747.

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Thursday, August 19

Lauren's Business Coincidence Story

A coincidence story today from Lauren. It shows how life sometimes just falls into place and how coincidences can guide the way and confirm that it is the right path. At least that's my interpretation

business woman clip art"I saw your blog on Stumbleupon and have been a keen reader ever since. I wonder what you think of my coincidence story as I think it's pretty amazing.

I had an idea for a business but felt that it would be too much for me to handle on my own. I couldn't think of anyone who would be interested in joining me in my venture. There was actually one person who would, my best childhood friend, but she was now living in Australia, whereas I'm in England. A bit too far to commute!

About a week passed, after thinking about this business idea, and by chance I was introduced to someone who would make a perfect business partner, but this isn't the coincidence part of this story.

The coincidence is that this girl I met has exactly the same name as my friend in Australia and they are both the same age with the same birthdate of 23rd of March, 1977. I've also found out that she has a B.A (Hons) degree in economics, as has my friend in Aussie.

The good news is that our business is now up and running and Gloria has said how she had been thinking along similar lines for ages.

Like you, I believe in coincidences as something meaningful."

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Wednesday, August 18

Teenage Memories Unlocked By A Coincidence

Mellow Lane School, Hewens Road, Hillingdon

1I recently went back to where I grew up and visited the local places I could remember as a child and teenager (yes, that's me on the right), including my senior school, Mellow Lane, in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

After I had returned home back to Cornwall I glanced through an old photo album and came across a picture of myself with a girl I knew at Mellow Lane (photo below left). I remember saying to myself, "I wonder whatever happened to Stephanie?"

Last night my wife was watching something on television, which wasn't of interest to me, so I went on my computer for half an hour. No particular reason or plan as to what I was going to look at. I have my home page set as Google so when it came up I did a 'Mellow Lane' search and on the first page there was an entry that contained the name Stephanie. "Surely not" I thought.

I clicked and this led me to a 2005 forum. I found the entry and, sure enough, it was about the girl whose photo I had.

It was very sad though. The entry was from her son who was asking if anyone had a copy of a record of the Mellow Lane school choir where his mother had been a member. He wanted this to play at his wedding. His mother had died back in 1987.

I must say that this left me quite shocked. Not absolutely sure why, because I hadn't seen Stephanie since I was about 17 or 18.

I can actually remember the last time I saw her. It was on a number 140 bus. I got out at Northolt Station and she stayed on to, well I'm not sure where.

I got to know Stephanie well when we went on a Geographical Project to Switzerland. We had all sorts of lengthy conversations about life and I remember distinctly one particular debate between us about Jehovah Witnesses. I can picture the location even now.

The photo of us together is on a train in Switzerland.

It's strange how such coincidences come about as I hadn't thought about her for many, many years but the trip to my old school, the photo, the forum I clicked on by chance let out a whole flood of memories about my early life in Hillingdon and Hayes.

It made me feel quite sad about how quickly life moves on and the people who come and go in our lives. It also shows how much we have stored away in our minds, brains or wherever. There are so many memories waiting to be unlocked.

I also felt a great sympathy and sorrow for Stephanie's family and friends. She was such a lovely, intelligent girl. The photo doesn't do her justice.

What I discovered was that even in the midst of family and friends, who care deeply, we are sometimes very much alone. Only we, as individuals, have experienced what we have experienced. It's a unique version of events, emotions, lessons learned and so on.

Some coincidences, I feel, come about to make us reflect on life.

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Tuesday, August 17

King Arthur, Excalibur And The Cornish UFOs

Cornwall UFO clippingUFOs have been seen in Cornwall, England and interestingly around areas linked to the legends of King Arthur.

Near to the remains of Tintagel Castle on Cornwall's dramatic cliffs white, triangular shapes have been seen hovering near to the castle. One of the witnesses claims to have heard muffled cries for help just before the UFOs appeared.

A woman who lives a few hundred yards away from Tintagel Castle says she was woken by flashing lights coming through her bedroom window. When she looked out she saw a triangular shape flanked by three rows of pulsating red lights. She went back to bed but decided to have a second look minutes later. She then saw two triangles side by side.

There was a further UFO sighting near to Tintagel at Polzeath beach. This time a courting couple - what on earth were they doing in the pitch darkness - spotted a 20 foot long triangle with a second, smaller one nearby. The UFOs appeared at the top of the beach and then 'floated' towards the sea.

The couple claim the triangles came within twelve feet of them and then vanished as they appeared to touch the sea waves.

The woman described the incident: "We heard a noise. I don't know if it was connected. It was a cry for help that had just scared me anyway. The triangles didn't hurt my eyes. It became fascinating but it was like, wow, you know ... I found myself drawn."

Another sighting was south of Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor.

Dozmary Pool, Cornwall, ExcaliburIf you know the story of King Arthur, Dozmary Pool is the home of the Lady of the Lake and is where Sir Bedivere or Bedwyr is said to have thrown the King's magical sword Excalibur at the end of his life. A mystical hand supposedly caught Excalibur and pulled it beneath the water.

As for Tintagel Castle many say this is where King Arthur was born.

The Dozmary Pool UFO was seen by 18 year old Matt Punter. A square of lights which he described as being 'without substance' hovered about 20 feet above his car as he was driving home at night time.

So could there be any connection between King Arthur and UFOs or is this purely a romantic notion created as perhaps was the legend of Arthur itself?

The legend tells us that when King Arthur was at death's door his wounds were treated by three mysterious maidens. He was placed into a boat and floated down the river. His body was never found. Many believe he rests under a hill, along with all of his knights, ready and waiting to ride forth once more and save the country ...

We could certianly do with a bit of help at the moment.

Further Reading:
Alien Visitation And UFO Sightings
Over 600 Pages Of UFO Reports

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