I never cease to be amazed by what can lie waiting for one just around life’s next corner especially when it comes to co incidences.
Well, a friend and I had completed another magnificent section of our Pembrokeshire coastal walk from Fishguard to Cardigan.
We had been blessed with the most wonderful February weather with cold clear blue skies and distant views across the sunlit water to the snow-capped mountains of North Wales and were now exploring Cardigan before catching our bus back to Fishguard.
Saturday morning stallholders were busy setting up in the town’s large and lofty market hall so we wandered in and there slumped together on a shelf in the antique section I spotted to clown string puppets.
They were a sorry sight and looked quite old and I immediately thought of my Isle-of-Wight friend Gerda who has a magnificent collection of these often colourful, weird and wonderful folk.
I quickly snapped them up for her which gave me a little thrill but was mildly surprised that they were only £8 the pair Alas all was revealed when we stopped next door for a coffee and I had time to examine my little purchases more closely. A little tag on one of the clown’s trouser legs informed me that this was not a toy and therefore not at all old.
My heart sunk because I knew my friend only collected old puppets and would not really be interested in this sorry pair. I had done it again, following my old trait of acting spontaneously and not looking where I leap because had I taken the time to examine the clowns I would quickly have spotted they were not old and would have saved myself eight pounds.
But then the most amazing thing happened which confirmed all my quietly held convictions that it is better to act spontaneously over things that don’t really matter.
It had started to snow with big flakes drifting lazily down when we emerged onto the busy High Street, our rucksacks on our backs and me carrying my clowns in a plastic bag.
There in front of us was a middle- aged woman and a girl of about six dressed as clowns!
And wonder of wonders they were manipulating string puppets and handing out leaflets about the opening of a Barnardo’s shop.
Just how many millions to one are the chances of that? I promptly gave the delighted little girl my puppets and we hurried off to catch the bus.