a funny thing happened...

14 December 2012

Do you remember a while ago when our camera got thieved from our car?
 
 
Well, it happened when I was at my due date, my husband had been getting the car ready with the things we might need, and he put the camera into the glove compartment. A few days later, he found the car unlocked in the morning, then we discovered a few things missing including parking change, Nao's overnight bag for the hospital, and our camera!. He was sure he must have left it unlocked by mistake and felt like a prize wally.
 
Our camera had squillions of pictures on it which we kept stored on the memory card.
I felt embarrassed because there were lots of pics of me heavily prego in my swim suit looking like a potato with some string wrapped around it. Basically about two years worth of pics, I kept remembering what more could be on there and got a chill run down my spine. I wondered who might be looking at those? {well obviously not a very nice person} and he/she knows where we live.
 
We never got around to reporting the theft to the police because:
a: Nao was sure it was his fault anyways
b: What difference would it make, we'd never get it back anyway
c: We had another pressing matter to think about at the time
 
Anyways, I happened to be two weeks overdue before Pehr decided to make an appearance {a very long and painful delivery I might add}. A couple of days later when I was back from the hospital the door bell rings, and this man asked if we'd lost a camera.
 
Weird! I thought, I said 'yes' in a very surprised tone, and he showed me his police badge {in his wallet, like in the movies} and asked if he could step inside. He then goes on to explain how he was contacted by Cash Converters staff, who had a camera arrive at their shop which still had lots of pictures in it. They thought it could possibly be stolen. The police man checked the records for a claim but none was found, he thought that odd for such a valuble camera {olympus ep-2 by the way}.
He didn't want to give up on it, even though he couldnt press charges without a claim form, so he started looking at all the photos...{after probably having a good old snigger at all the random photies}, he found a photo of our campervan. He looked up the registration number and found our address, and our van parked on the street.
 
When I opened the door, he recognised me, and our flat, and the tricycle that Nao had renovated, our living room, etc etc...how odd! He said 'so you've had the baby then!'
 
The moral to this story is {well there are a few actually}...
 
-Things can get stolen in South East London, and still turn up in your hands again.
-Always report a theft even if you feel like a plonker.
-Some police do care about the small crimes that happen in London
-There are idiots out there that are stupid enough to...
a: nick other people stuff
b: not erase the images of the owners of the camera before selling it, doh!
 
Because of our statement, and photos being used as evidence, he was arrested and found guilty of numerous other thefts from cars in the area,
...policeman got a box of choccies.
 
Yay! The End.
 
p.s. I might write a few more strange stories that have happened to us recently...only if your interested of course!

58 comments

  1. That is so fantastic to hear!! It's so nice to know that some police officers really do care about the community they're serving; I can only imagine how happy you were to have gotten your camera/memory card back :)

    Cassie

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  2. Great story (to also encourage you to write more). I like happy endings.
    -Ricky

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  3. Wow! That is a great story and I'm glad that you got your camera back. I'd love to hear some other strange stories!

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  4. Yay, I'm so happy for you, this is a lovely story. I'd love to hear more strange stories! x

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  5. What a lovely policeman who was able to identify your van and return the camera - with all your pictures - yes, very interested in more strange stories. Who would ever have believed you would get your pictures back.
    - Joy

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  6. That's wonderful news, I'm so glad for you! It's stories like these that help remind us there's still good in the world.

    And now, little Pehr can have "memories" of when she was still inside her mum's belly!

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  7. so a happy Christmas then really good news and well done too the boys in blue just goes to show where there is a will there is a way

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  8. Wonderful! What a great story, yes to more. I like to sit at my computer with my cuppa tea reading such things, tis a great way to start the day, thanks! And have a wonderfully awesome Christmas, your first as a family, it will be so special. Sxx

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  9. Awesome story and happy that good things happens still :) Happy weekend,
    Ax

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  10. I am so pleased you got it back with all the photo's still there. Can totally understand how you felt about some b........ looking at them. Tell Nao he's not a plonker as this could happen to anyone anytime. Would love to read some more strange stories. Karen x

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  11. That's great news. We've had our camera stolen twice, so now I always download my photos at the end of the day. It sucks to think of strangers looking at your photos.

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  12. Wow, what a lovely story. So good to hear that there are policeman out there who do care enough about these things. Good work Mr Plod!

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  13. Hooray for happy endings! More please. Also welcome are more photos of your lovely little one - beautiful name, by the way!

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  14. My goodness, that is amazing. I love happy endings. What a smart cookie that policeman is.

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  15. OMG Happy Christmas indeed - gold star and a mince pie for that policeman! xx

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  16. OMG Happy Christmas indeed - gold star and a mince pie for that policeman! xx

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  17. This totally restores my faith in humanity. WOW.

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  18. yes, interested! you tell a wonderful story. so happy for you and big hugs to the policeman :^)

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  19. I've just read this little lovely story to my boyfriend! i feel relieved that those things can actually still happen!
    it makes rely on people a little bit more, well, not all of them.. yay for happy ending!

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  20. What a creepy, funny, weirdly happy story. Yes, more please!

    (so glad you got your camera back)

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  21. Your photos are always amazing.....he probably feels like part of the family now.....:)

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  22. What a nice story! Restores your faith in humanity when things like that happen! Hope you're all well and excited about your first Christmas with Pehr xxx

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  23. This is such an amazing story. And how funny/odd that he recognised everything about you both from the pictures. It's kind of like that idea of 'how much can you learn about a person from just looking at what's inside their handbag' (an exercise we had to do for one of my Creative Writing classes in uni).

    Glad to hear your camera's returned safely home.

    All the best,
    Melissa x

    p.s. I love the playing cards on your Christmas tree :) might need to pinch this idea!

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  24. Please do write more!!! I love your storytelling style :)

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  25. how wonderful your camera and all the sentimental photos stored on it were recovered...and yes, please more stories!

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  26. I'm glad you got the camera back, I liked this little story. It reminded me of when I was a child and my Mum's handbag was stolen from her car and she only really cared about the photos she had in her purse. Months later she got a phone call from the police saying they found her bag, they only took the cash and she got her treasured photos back. There are some nasty people out there but if all ends well and everyone is safe that is all that matters.

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  27. It really does make you feel warm again doesn't it? There are ALWAYS good people out there, but like you, I never would have predicted that outcome! I have found and handed in several digital cameras/iphones/kindles this year - so i hope karma might be on my side one day if I need it!

    Really fantastic, and just in time for Christmas too, I hope Santa is very kind to that policeman!

    Hope you have a great festive season!

    Katie

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  28. Fantastic to hear something like this these days! I just found your blog so I must add: Congratulations on your cute baby!

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  29. What a great story!! So glad you got your camera back - and how lovely to think that the policeman put in all that effort! A lovely early Christmas present for you. :)

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  30. Anonymous14.12.12

    That's so great! I'm glad you've got those photos (and the camera!) back - what a lovely policeman :)
    I'd love to hear more stories - your writing tone is so lovely.

    Sera

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  31. how awesome! so happy the fabulous camera was returned to its rightful owner. i also have come across a few odd stories since we had our baby girl 5 weeks ago. i'm not sure if I'm just paying attention to the signs or it's all coincidental.

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  32. Hi Artemis,
    I loved reading this story! Definitely do share more random things :-) So wonderful that the police man stuck at it.
    Have a lovely first christmas together with Pehr.
    Melania

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  33. What a cool story ... my BF just had his new mountain bike stolen from outside the front of the gym - they even have it on camera - but there's not much we can do except hope it turns up at Cash Converters.

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  34. Anonymous14.12.12

    aww that story made me smile, what a nice police man to go out of his way like that. he's a good egg!

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  35. i love a happy ending.What a great police officer.It quite restores ones faith in the human race.x

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  36. Great story and you got your camera back, well done to that policeman.

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  37. Melanie from Sydney15.12.12

    apart from my little girl not needing to be wrapped up to sleep since this morning, this story made my day.

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  38. What a lovely story! x

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  39. What a lovely Policemen! It restores a bit of faith in mankind reading this :)

    I'm glad you got your camera back!xx

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  40. What a heartwarming ending, it is so true, what goes around, comes around. My video camera was stolen with footage of my son singing a solo in the nativity play aged 4, he is 12 now and I still get upset thinking about it,but I end up feeling sorry for people who have to stoop to such a low level in life.

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  41. Thrilled for you!! And it is always good to hear of someone who cares enough to really do their best... Seasonal Greetings to you three special pips!

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  42. What an amazing story...and a very kind police man!! More strange stories please.

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  43. What a nice story. I'd like to read more stories.

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  44. What a nice story. I'd like to read more stories.

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  45. Definitely interested in more stories!!!

    And - hooray!!!

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  46. What a great policeman! It's so nice to hear about people who really care and it's so great you got all those photos back! What a cute story. x

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  47. How amazing, I love strange circular stories with happy endings and such a great story to tell Pehr when she's older. That's a proper bobby - but then I think I'd be intrigued if I found your camera! X

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  48. Hooray! Great to know this! :) Joana

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  49. What a great story! Of course there are millions of wonderful kind people out there with a few rotten apples thrown into the mix- too bad we often only hear about the rotten apples!

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  50. Was very much in need of a good news story this morning and so happy to have stumbled upon it through your blog.

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  51. Anonymous17.12.12

    this is amazing! what a super lovely policeman. my clarinet was stolen when I was a child, and a friend saw it in the window of cash converters (my case had silly stickers on it) so I got that back! yeay!

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  52. Great to hear that you got it back! It makes me happy to see that there are still some kind people in the world! xx

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  53. So lovely to hear! And yes, please, to more stories! xo

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  54. Anonymous19.12.12

    Well, isn't that a wonderful Christmas story? And to have Pehr to celebrate it with you. More stories, please!

    I hope you and your entire family have a happy happy Christmas!

    Rowena

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  55. Mimosa21.12.12

    Wow! My mum always takes a photo of her mobile phone number/email address and locks the photo just in case it gets lost/stolen and that way it can be returned. It helps those honest people wanting to get your posessions back to you!

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  56. Anonymous8.1.13

    What a fantastic story. So glad you got your camera back, I know only too well what it's like to lose a few thousand pictures!

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