This morning I received a message with an attachment – “Found this tonight at my mum’s house” and there was a letter I had written to a pupil in 1992. I used to write to each pupil at the end of our half-term Anthology project rather than ‘grading’ the creative writing into which pupils had poured their ideas and their energy. He tells me that he still has the Anthology too and is going to scan it for me.
Letter to Steven
Yesterday the lovely Mr S dropped his wallet in town and though we retraced our steps there was no sign of it. However, the woman in the charity shop said a ‘genuine looking’ couple had been in to ask if she had just had a customer who may have lost his wallet. They said they would take it to the Police Station, only there isn’t one in Redruth. The wallet had been a present many years ago and had inside a David Hockney painting, ‘Arrival of Spring.’ It was much loved and had cash and cards in it.
Arrival of Spring by David Hockney
Inside the wallet
This morning we re-traced our steps again, looking in windblown corners, up alleyways but to no avail. (All the cards were cancelled yesterday.) Then, just after lunch, we had a phone call from the couple who had found the wallet. They had tracked Mr S down through the telephone directory and we went off across town to pick it up and to say the biggest Thank you! It revives one’s faith in the honesty and goodness of our fellow humans.
Daffodils in P’s delightful pot
colonialist
February 18, 2019 at 4:20 pm
Sadly, in our neck of the woods lost wallets almost always stay lost, Or, on rare occasions, do return, but invariably without contents,
mybeautfulthings
February 18, 2019 at 6:32 pm
That’s a shame. We do feel very lucky that honest and good people picked it up.
backstagestives
February 18, 2019 at 1:27 am
I continue to be inspired by you, your writing and your stories of courage and hope and love. I’m home from 3 months in HK, in Stratford for a week with my little grand daughter and family before returning back to Cornwall. I found my birth family. Hurrah. Your blog helped sustain me and my spirit whilst I searched and I am inspired by your Pullman esque literacy teaching approach. Just lovely. Lucky pupils. Thank you again. With love. Laura Tan
mybeautfulthings
February 18, 2019 at 3:19 pm
What a lovely piece to read! Thank you so much. It’s so good to know that my blog is inspiring you and I am delighted to hear that your quest to find your birth family was successful. You are arriving back in Cornwall at just the right moment as Spring is arriving too. The grey days are nearly gone….. With love, Sally xx
Arkenaten
February 17, 2019 at 8:10 pm
With people like this there is hope for our species yet!
Heyjude
February 17, 2019 at 7:43 pm
Nice to hear that the wallet was returned. He is one lucky man!
utesmile
February 17, 2019 at 7:34 pm
So nice Mr S got the wallet back, good to hear of honest people!… and what a nice wallet too!
mybeautfulthings
February 17, 2019 at 7:43 pm
We were truly delighted after a worrying few hours! He had just withdrawn the housekeeping money too! Happy days! 🙂