The amazing coincidence of the Cumbrian cottage owner

First exam is over - 90 minutes of multiple choice questions on Genetics and Cell Biology. There was only one I really had no idea about: which of these is an icosahedral non-enveloped virus? Flu, polio, rabies, HIV, Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Probable answer: polio, I've just looked it up. Thing is, I probably don't need to know that for my future dietetic career. Or for anything else.

So I'm treating myself to another short blog, about the amazing coincidence etc etc. In September we'd established that Lola II and Marcus were interested in joining us over New Year in a rented cottage somewhere, but I didn't do anything about it for ages. Lola II sent a link from the Guardian recommending a company, so I looked at their website in October or November.

They let you specify certain criteria, so after checking for New Year availability I booked a cottage at the lower price range that would hold up to four people, with an open fire, central heating and a pub within walking distance. That's how we came to find ourselves on the road to Alston (the highest market town in England), in the fog, with Lola II driving and me on the mobile to the owner to find out how to get into the cottage.

The owner's name was a fairly common one, but the accent of the voice on the phone was very distinctive. After I'd been told how to find the front door key, I tentatively asked whether the voice belonged to the Jim that I knew from my last job? Turns out that it did. What are the chances of that?

Even better, Jim and Chris invited us round to their place on New Year's Day, so the four of us drove over for wine, snacks, roaring fires, singing (Marcus), and fine conversation.