WHEN most people have a clear-out, they expect never to see the items they dispose of again.

But one Leigh woman has an uncanny knack of accidentally reuniting her family members with items years after they were given or thrown away.

Janet Evans, area manager of Shopmobility on Bradshawgate, got in touch with the Journal after Gladys Grimshaw appealed for information about a doll’s house she had been reunited with, after giving it away nearly 70 years ago.

Janet said: “I bought the doll’s house at a car boot sale in Warrington about three years ago with the intention of doing it up for my grandchildren, but as I never got round to it I donated it to the shop.”

And it isn’t the first time Janet has played a part in inadvertently reuniting people with belongings from years ago.

“It has happened a few times. The strangest one I bought is a wooden blackboard ruler in a Hindley Green charity shop,” she said.

“It was from Wigan Tech College and had initials and dates all over it, one of which was JME 1952. I spoke to my dad and we realised it had been his ruler when he was a pupil 45 years before.

“Then there was the radio. My mum asked me to take a 1950s radio to the tip.

“Three or four years later I was at a fair in Newark and a stall was selling all of these radios, so I brought one to take back as a joke for my mum.

“She said it was identical to hers and as they used to sign and date the battery whenever they changed it, we opened it up and realised it was her radio.

“It is very eerie. Maybe it’s fate.”