Being remembered after one meeting TWENTY FIVE years ago!!

I was shopping locally beginning of lockdown and wearing a mask I was putting the trolley back. A car had stopped in front of me and someone shouted my name. It was a friends sister I used to babysit years ago. I had not seen her for decades. She has lived and worked in London for years but apparently moved back a few years earlier. I couldn’t believe I had glasses on a mask on and white hair but she still recognised me.

My Mam recognised the voice of a patient she’d nursed 25 years previously when she was receiving respite care at a Nursing Home. She didn’t actually see the patient concerned as they were in different parts of the building but she was able to instantly recognise her voice.

My memory for faces and names is appalling, but I was recognised, in the street, by a lady who had been my 'office girl' 15 years previously. She only knew me for a few weeks before I moved to another company.
I was 7 months pregnant, almost 40 and feeling more like 50 that day. Her, "You haven't changed a bit" really made my day.

Once when teaching in the North East a visitor looked at me and said the letters right but the names wrong. I suddenly realised she had lectured me about 10 years before and my name had changed but still started with the same letter. She must have had hundreds through her hands and I had never talked to her just sat with a lot of others.

yes, same here, I have a very very strong memory for people and faces.

I have one of those memories. I joined a group of people from my old primary school and had to reign in my detailed memories. One man would have been shocked to know I remembered his mum, dad and sister. The decor all over their apartment, the hot orange juice his mum served, what his mum was knitting, the name of their dog, his parents splitting up. All I said was I remembered his mum's red hair!

When I was in my forties, my old Maths teachers recognised me! from my laugh……..

My mother was as sharp as a knife up until she died.
She could remember things said or any injustice that happened through out her life and believe me, I said something to her in 1972 that she repeated throughout my life that she could never let me forget!
?

I was on holiday in Norfolk when.l was shopping in marks and spencers this lady came up to me and said l hope you dont mind me ask

I always have remembered people for random reasons!
Unfortunately, most people don't remember me!
Several years ago I went to a school reunion and remembered most of the ones in my year, but apart from the woman that had been my closest friend at senior school, only one man that had been in my form at one point, remembered me - because I "used to be taller than him"! - he was now taller than me.(but with a lot less hair)
One ex school mate remembered me from my Facebook profile - apparently I have the "same lovely smile"

The short answer is no.....unless they had a huge wart on the end of their nose/ had a high pitched screechy laugh/gave the weirdest answers to a question etc etc.
I take it that none of those apply grannyactivist ??

I remember lots of incidents, conversations and events from years ago, but I would struggle to recall names and faces of those involved.
When I was a teacher I would see people at the supermarket and recognise them but not be able to place them- probably they were parents of pupils. They knew me but I didn’t know them.

Thanks everyone for your comments, and I’m grateful for your encouraging words.

I am in awe of those of you who have such good memories.

My oldest friend maintains her few friendships fiercely and, I suspect because of the intensity of her friendships, she does seem to remember even the most un-noteworthy things we’ve done together, whereas I have only the faintest memory of our ‘highlight’ moments - such as when she once (actually more than once) arrived on my doorstep with her screaming baby, in the middle of the night, crying because her baby had colic and she couldn’t cope. ?

Yes one old guy who interviewed me for a job at 17 years old. He was horrible, gruff and laying down rules in a nasty way. I got the job but didn't take it. Everyone there looked unhappy in that office. I couldn't work for him

I often recognise and remember people from many years ago, primary school even. It's their faces, features, expressions and mannerisms that ring a bell with me but rarely can a remember their names.

Sadly other people don't often remember or recognise me, I guess I'm not very memorable or don't make a big impression on people! Though that can be an advantage sometimes.

I was in my local petrol station when a man stopped me and said I had been at college with him in 1970 and that I played netball . He was totally correct.
I play walking netball now!!

I was shopping in Marks and Spencer just before the first lockdown when a young man with a little girl stopped me, put his arm around me and kissed me on the cheek. He called me by my first name, asked me how I was and we had quite a lengthy conversation. He recalled sleepovers at my house, lovely breakfasts and asked me how a particular tree in the garden was doing. I had no idea who he was although he was obviously one of my sons' schoolfriends (he asked after both.) My boys are both in their forties now so it must have been at least twenty-five years since I had last seen this man and how he recognised me I have no idea! It sounds mad but the longer we talked the less possible it became for me to ask him who he was.

I’m not good remembering names these days but for some reason some people and events do stick in my mind from many years ago. Even schooldays and college some characters stand out even though I havn’t seen them for 50yrs, some pleasant some unpleasant.

Grannyactivist you obviously left your mark at that interview.

I have trouble remembering people I met last week, let alone people from twenty five years ago

It seems, though, that you clearly made an impact on this person. You may have said something that was important to them at the time that left an impression or a significant memory there.

I seem to be able to remember names and faces even when or if it’s only been a fleeting meeting or something similar in the past and no matter how long ago. I can also normally remember something about the previous meeting which allows for an introduction into conversation. It can be incredibly useful and people are really surprised that I remember them. In contrast my husband can barely the names of his own family!

Absolutely not, I can't remember what happened last week.
You must have given a very memorable interview grannyactivist

My sister has a phenomenal memory and she is 80 today.

Here is a true story last month I was having a manicure the person next to me heard me mention where I used to live 60 years ago and about 80 miles away. She said she used to live in a town nearby which I knew well as my train would go through there everyday when I went to school. She asked me which school and it turns out we went to the same school. ? She said she was 79 and I said the same age as my sister. It turns out they were in the same class. My sister emailed me from Italy to say the girl from her class had married the owner’s son of Robinson Jam and that her birthday was the 7.7.42. !!

My sister reminded me I was always borrowing money off her as a teenager- I have absolutely no memory of this, but I know it will be true. ?

I am dreadful at faces and names too …a couple of years ago a lady said hello to me and asked how I was doing I picked up that I should know her so I said I m so sorry I can’t remember your name so she told me and I had to say I m sorry but that doesn’t ring any bells she answered well I used to be your next door neighbour, I still have no recollection of her Well I used to make and sell art and crafts and she told me she’d been in my house to buy some things off me ??‍♂️
It was about 20/30 years ago and there’s been a few neighbours in that house well that’s my excuse and I m sticking to it

Here’s another a school friend asked me the other day if I could remember going to a party dressed as a cowgirls I said no never, she said well nor do I, but look! she had found an old photo of us both at a party dressed as cowgirls we can’t recognise the building and neither of us have any recollection of being cowgirls at a party !!!

It's a talent I do not have! I'm often embarrassed at my lack of ability to remember names/faces. Hats off to you that can remember people.