BEYOND COINCIDENCE

Have you ever felt that events went beyond coincidence - that certain happenings had a pattern, almost as if an unseen hand were at work to ensure some specific result?

Continuing from where my Blog ended yesterday, I began to feel an invisible hand guiding matters after I left Philip Draper clutching a fat file of documentation, letters and photographs dating from 1943 to the present day.  Philip (whom I had met for the first time just two hours earlier) had loaned me this invaluable file for as long as I needed it.  The degree of trust he had placed in me was truly awesome.

My earliest visit to the village that died had coincided with the arrival of workmen to open up St Mary's Church for the first time since 1943.  Although it was in a dangerous condition and members of the public were not permitted within, I was permitted.  I can't explain why the workmen let me (and nobody else) in and doubt they could explain it either.  Whatever the reason, it was an extraordinary feeling to be the first person to enter the church where long ago the Bond family and Tyneham villagers had worshipped.

Even more extraordinary, though, was the phone call I received from a friend, April, several days later telling me that her church (St Mark's, West Parley) had just acquired the bell from St Mary's, Tyneham.  She had learned this moments ago from her parish magazine.

When not dreaming about Tyneham, I was finding that reminders of the village reached me in various such unexpected guises. I had decided on the name 'Tice' for the fictitious family I planned to instal in Tyneham House - but had told nobody of this decision. Then April rang to say that the grandfather of a friend of her daughter's had served in the same Masonic Lodge as the late Lieutenant-Colonel Bond.  She added that Mr Tice had expressed interest in the novel I was planning to write.  Startled, I asked her to repeat the name - and there was no mistake.  Things were getting stranger and stranger!

Conversing one day with my elderly neighbour's daily help, Lily, I learned that her mother was once cook to Mrs Bond at Tyneham House.

On and on the 'coincidences' went.  I discovered during my initial research in 1976 that dates that year fell on the same days as during 1943.  I made exactly the same discovery again when doing further (and final!) research in 1993. Harvest Thanksgiving in all three cases was held on 3 October.  Why was the beginning and end of my research separated by so many years?  The answer to that can wait till my next Blog - beyond coincidence continued ...