Reward For Return Of Violin Left On Train At Bedwyn

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Grandfather-of-two Mr Napier, 67, forgot to take the 17th-century instrument off the luggage rack when he left the service from London at Bedwyn on his way home to Marlborough, Wiltshire. The Italian-made violin has been in his family for almost 100 years and a ^10,000 reward has been offered for its safe return (link below.)
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=20397622&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

Mr Napier, a retired shipping consultant, said he realised his mistake as the train was pulling out of the station.

"It was a terrible moment when I realised as the train was steaming off that I had left it on the train," he said. "I put it on the luggage rack above my seat and when I got to Bedwyn, got off the train and I simply left it.

"I've relived the moment. I think when I put it on the luggage rack I thought I couldn't possibly forget it, and I didn't want to appear different. I was trying to behave normally."

"It was an absolutely awful moment when I realised I'd left it.

"I wouldn't say I was a particularly forgetful person by nature. I just got off the train as I would normally with my briefcase and coat, but left the case on the rack.

"My mother left it to me and my brothers and sisters when she stopped playing.

"She died 18 months ago and the instrument obviously gained a degree of sentimental value.

"She bought it in 1945 and we all grew up with it.

"It can be compared to one of the old masters works of art, as it's unique and there would be no doubt about its identity if it was found.

"My brothers and sisters have been very understanding but that doesn't hide the disappointment.

"We are just praying it turns up."

He was returning home on January 29 after visiting a London dealer, who had valued it at ^180,000, and placed the instrument on an overhead shelf alongside his briefcase.

Mr Napier got off the train, travelling from London Paddington towards Taunton, at Bedwyn.

He contacted railway staff who searched the train at its destination but they could not find the violin.

The missing violin, a Goffriller, together with a bow stamped R Sartory, were in a rectangular case with a brown cover.

Insurance company Allianz has offered a reward of "up to ^10,000" for the safe return of the instrument.

[Phil]

This question might make me look particularly stupid, but where did the train go after leaving Bedwyn?

I heard this guy interviewed on the radio the other day, and he was explaining how he remembered he'd left the violin behind just as he exited Bedwyn station, by which time the train "was already continuing on its journey into Wiltshire".

It struck me then that stopping trains don't generally go beyond Bedwyn as far as I know - there's no service on to Pewsey - trains from Reading hang there around for a while and then trundle back up the line to the next station along, which happens to be Hungerford.

Why, having realised his mistake, couldn't he phone a friend, or even the taxi rank outside the station, to meet the train when it got back to Hungerford?

I dunno, something just doesn't ring quite true about all this.

[devon_metro]

It would be either:

1C84 1218 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-TAU^» (Taunton - next trains)
1C91 1706 PAD-WSB^» (Westbury - next trains)
1U94 1806 PAD-FRO^» (Frome - next trains)

And considering it mentions that the train was searched on arrival at Taunton it was option 1

[Phil]

Really? I thought all those only stopped at Hungerford and Pewsey.

Obviously things have changed since I last used that line - Bedwyn (which lies between Hungerford and Pewsey) could only be reached on a stopping train, the express services from Paddington never stopped there. It's got fairly short platforms as well.

Anyway, I'm sure you're right - thanks for setting me straight, Mr Metro sir!

[devon_metro]

Well they are hardly express 

The 1218 replaces a Turbo basically just with more slack.

[Mookiemoo]

This question might make me look particularly stupid, but where did the train go after leaving Bedwyn?

I heard this guy interviewed on the radio the other day, and he was explaining how he remembered he'd left the violin behind just as he exited Bedwyn station, by which time the train "was already continuing on its journey into Wiltshire".

It struck me then that stopping trains don't generally go beyond Bedwyn as far as I know - there's no service on to Pewsey - trains from Reading hang there around for a while and then trundle back up the line to the next station along, which happens to be Hungerford.

Why, having realised his mistake, couldn't he phone a friend, or even the taxi rank outside the station, to meet the train when it got back to Hungerford?

I dunno, something just doesn't ring quite true about all this.

Who on earth leaves a 180K item in the luggage rack anyway!  It would be sitting on the seat next to me - I'd be on the aisle it would have the window seat

[smithy]

This question might make me look particularly stupid, but where did the train go after leaving Bedwyn?

I heard this guy interviewed on the radio the other day, and he was explaining how he remembered he'd left the violin behind just as he exited Bedwyn station, by which time the train "was already continuing on its journey into Wiltshire".

It struck me then that stopping trains don't generally go beyond Bedwyn as far as I know - there's no service on to Pewsey - trains from Reading hang there around for a while and then trundle back up the line to the next station along, which happens to be Hungerford.

Why, having realised his mistake, couldn't he phone a friend, or even the taxi rank outside the station, to meet the train when it got back to Hungerford?

I dunno, something just doesn't ring quite true about all this.

Who on earth leaves a 180K item in the luggage rack anyway!  It would be sitting on the seat next to me - I'd be on the aisle it would have the window seat

exactly.

if i had a violin that had been valued at 180k that DAY then i am 100% sure it would not slip my mind that the said violin was in fact sitting on the luggage rack.
sounds terrible but i seriously doubt he will get it back after going in the press telling everyone how much it is worth.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, there's not much point in us all checking the overhead luggage racks now, on the off-chance - this happened on 29 January!

I do sympathise with anyone who gets off a train and then watches it depart - while it gradually dawns on them that they've probably just made the worst mistake of their life.

However, some questions have been raised:  Is this really a fiddle?  Is he just stringing us along?

 

[Phil]

Chris, that was truly dreadful!

[Btline]

Chris, that was truly dreadful!

[smokey]

Forgetting something Worth ^180k seems unbelivable, but then how can passengers forget such Items as False Leg, Wheelchairs, Oxygen Bottle with breathing mask, even a very young child ended up lost and alone at Penzance after Father left the train on Route.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Fair comment, smokey!

About a month ago, I was waiting for the 1822 at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)), which duly arrived: people got off, and other people started to get on.  Suddenly, I and several others were shoved aside by a young man who bounded back on to the train, to retrieve something he'd apparently forgotten when he first alighted - the biggest bluddy suitcase you've ever seen!?!  How could he possibly have forgotten that he had been lugging that around through the previous stages of his journey???

 

[smithy]

Fair comment, smokey!

About a month ago, I was waiting for the 1822 at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)), which duly arrived: people got off, and other people started to get on.  Suddenly, I and several others were shoved aside by a young man who bounded back on to the train, to retrieve something he'd apparently forgotten when he first alighted - the biggest bluddy suitcase you've ever seen!?!  How could he possibly have forgotten that he had been lugging that around through the previous stages of his journey???

 

cycles being left on the train amazes me,how can someone ride a bike to the station put it on the train and then get off without the bike?

[John R]

I do sympathise with anyone who gets off a train and then watches it depart - while it gradually dawns on them that they've probably just made the worst mistake of their life.

For the first time ever I recently left a rather nice jumper (in a bag) that my wife had recently bought me (and therefore particularly liked) on the 1A09 Exeter Paddington service. I realised my mistake just after the train pulled out of Bristol, and went straight to lost property. They were very helpful and phoned through to Bath who I'm told checked the seat when it stopped there. But despite having a precise description of where I was sat, and where it was (I was in the coach next to the buffet and in one of the seats in the first row - I'm not normally that sad to note my seat number) they didn't find anything. Nor did lost property at Paddington have anything.

It really annoyed me that I could be so stupid, but then again, it's only a jumper, not ^180 grand's worth of violin. These things do happen, but I'm not even sure I would take something so valuable on a train, and I'm slightly surprised that the insurers would permit an item of such value to be carried in such a fashion and still be covered.

 

[Graz]

I found a set of keys (car and house) beside a seat yesterday after I got on a train at Oldfield Park on the way to Bristol TM^‡(resolve).  I took them straight to the BristoL TM lost property office!