Have we been here before?

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mr_hippo

Living Legend & Old Fart
I was answering a thread on another forum about the bridge on the River Kwai and remembering my first visit to the festival that is held every year in late November/early December.
We watched, from the grandstand, the son et lumiere, saw an authentic WWII train cross the bridge, 'heard' the Mitchell bombers overhead and saw the bridge being 'blown up' (they did not really blow the bridge up!). On a raft in the river, there were tableaux - Thai dancing, typical 1940s village life, etc.
Coming down from the grandstand, I saw just in front of me about 20 Japanese soldiers; I started shaking, hairs stood up on the back of my neck and I hid behind a support pillar until they had gone. It took me quite a while to calm down and I was not able to tell Mrs Hippo anything until the following morning.
A bit of background information: Three of my relatives died on the Death Railway, my first visit to the cinema, and the only time Dad ever took me, was to see 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' and it is still one of mt favourite films, the first 'adult' foreign book I read was Pierre Boulle's 'Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï'. All of that is possibly coincidental but... Have we been here before? Could a visit to place bring to the fore memories of a past life? Was I so 'wrapped up' in the show that I thought those soldiers were genuine?
Has anyone else experienced something similar?
 

Bigtallfatbloke

New Member
I never fought on the somme but just walking around beumont Hamel trench systems gave me the creeps.
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
It is strange, but the first time that I was driving alone in a car from Holland into Germany and was going down a long tree lined road I had a strange sensation that tanks etc. would soon show up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Bigtallfatbloke said:
I never fought on the somme but just walking around beumont Hamel trench systems gave me the creeps.

Anywhere on The Somme can be a bit weird. I remember walking around the old British trenches at Thiepval Wood a few years back just after the fields had been ploughed. You can still pick up all sorts of macabre souvenirs, including bullets and half a hand grenade in my case. It's a very moving place, especially the Memorial to the Missing on the ridge.
 

rikki

Legendary Member
It is contrary to rational thought (I think)

but there are some places I have been where I have felt the people who have been there before.

Surprisingly, some places are where I would least expect it to happen.
 

Dave5N

Über Member
The eeriest place I have ever been was Bosworth. Truly menacing.

I'm not superstitious, but the atmosphere was electric.

I've been to Northern France and Flanders and many places where terrible things have happened, but nothing ever got under my skin like a small field in Leicestershire did.
 

domtyler

Über Member
Keith Oates said:
It is strange, but the first time that I was driving alone in a car from Holland into Germany and was going down a long tree lined road I had a strange sensation that tanks etc. would soon show up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just how much Cocaine did you have in the fuel tank? :smile:
 

rikki

Legendary Member
It's not just terrible things.

There are special places where good things have (supposedly) happened as well where you can feel the people who were there before.

I don't think it's because I've been there "before". It's the feeling that others are still present or watching.
 
This isn't a case of have we been here b4 but we have done this b4.
When I was about 16 or 17 I was in my bedroom with a m8 listening to 12 inc singles that we lent from a DJ friend of ours, and I remember feeling weird and I said to my m8 I know this sounds stupid but we have done this b4 he replied back I know I felt the same thing SPOOKY
 
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