Chapel-en-le-Frith pensioner thanks mystery woman who paid for his birthday shopping on trip to Aldi

Retired press photographer John Mountain, 68, was in Aldi on Foresters Way on Saturday, September 11, when what he describes as a “very friendly mugging” occurred.

He said: “I was going through the check-out waiting to pay for four or five items – a cake, a couple of packets of chocolate biscuits, and some flowers to put on the grave of my partner’s daughter.

“We’d been chatting for a few minutes to other shoppers in the queue and had just happened to mention that it was my birthday that day. The person in front had many more items, so she told me to go ahead.”

After packing up his shopping, John turned back to the cashier to pay for it and what happened next took him completely by surprise.

He said: “I was just about to wave my debit card on the scanner when this other hand suddenly appeared. I was beaten to the draw by a most charming lady who said, ‘As it’s your birthday I’ll get those.’ Her card was quickly scanned instead of mine.

“I was flabbergasted and didn’t know where to turn. I had no chance to thank her or even reimburse her, she had vanished in the general melee in the packing area. I’m not even sure what she looked like, but I think she had fair hair and glasses.”

He added: “It just made me glad that there are still some kind-hearted people in the world. You hear so many bad news stories all the time. This was quite a revelation.

“I would like to let her know that the world would be a much better place if there were more people like her around.”

John felt a warm glow for the rest of his birthday, relaxing at home in front of the television. He said: “At 68, you want a quiet life.”

Still, he would like to say a personal thank you to his mystery benefactor and perhaps buy her some flowers in return. If she is reading this, or you can help track her down, let us know via [email protected].

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