OK, so I usually only use @thisisfreegle to give away things, but I had the weirdest experience today when going to collect something for the first time (an offer of a collection of vintage women's clothing patterns)... 1/?

I had several email exchanges with the lady giving away patterns, Joan, & she seemed pleased that I would give her treasured collection a good home (she's an older lady & going to be downsizing so is making space). It was a tricky journey to get to the address given, but... 2/?

...I arrived & went to the back door (as she'd requested), I had a mask on (I'd mentioned I would wear one in an email) & the door was opened by a bewildered & slightly frightened looking lady--"Joan?" I ask, "Yes", she says, "I'm here about the patterns" I say... 3/?

...she's like "I don't know what you mean", I'm like "Joan?" and she again says, "yes, that's me", and I say "we've emailed, it's me, from Freegle" and she clearly has NO IDEA what I'm on about. "I'm not on the computer, luv" she says... 4/?

...I leave, go back to the car, try the mobile number I have from the freegle email exchanges & get no response. Has someone else played some weird trick? Who would set up an older lady named Joan & try to get rid of her pattern collection? I set off back home, disappointed.. 5/?

...the phone rings, it's Joan. I say, "I've just been to your house", she says "you must have got the wrong address", I say, "I'm pretty sure it was the right place", we repeat the details of her address. I say, "uh... Joan answered the door & didn't know anything about it?" 6/?

A moment's silence. She says "oh, there's a lady 2 doors down named Joan" & I say "Aha! I'll be right there". We both have a mighty laugh. I ask her to convey my apologies to her neighbour. Now I have an almighty box of patterns to sort through & an Encyclopedia of Needlework 7/8

& thus my faith in the world briefly wavered & was renewed... here endeth this thread. Thank you twitter'verse, for giving me space to share this weird event... 8/8