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WE'VE all done it. Left something behind
somewhere, and can't remember when we last had it. Or know where it
is but cannot go back
to retrieve it because we were simply passing through a town.
It is certainly true of the
former owners of these umbrellas which "decorate" the coat stand in
the Inglenook Tea Shoppe in Pillory Street, Nantwich. As I write, there are
eight small umbrellas, a "golfing" umbrella, a raincoat and a pair of pink
gloves.
They have all been left
behind by customers - mainly visitors to the town - otherwise they
would have been reclaimed by now.
The proprietors, Bob and
Caroline Hope, have another three dozen umbrellas at home (removed
to make space for the next batch) - and
yet more have been borrowed by locals caught out in a sudden downpour.
Not pictured is a cushion
which a person in a wheelchair brought into the tea shoppe and
transferred to their chair at one of the tables while they dined. When they left,
they forgot to transfer it back. So now it is available to any
customer who needs to use it.
But the best "lost
property" of all (albeit briefly) was a pair of false teeth, or dentures if you
prefer. Bob explained that the wearer took them out in the "wash room" after
a meal - and then left the tea shoppe without them. They returned,
red faced,
several minutes later to reclaim them.
Didn't their mouth feel
different? Weren't they talking differently?
Other lost property has been:
-
A loaf of bread a customer had bought in the Tea Shoppe
and placed on
the umbrella tree while he enjoyed a meal. (What was wrong with his
table?) And, yes, he left without it! The day was saved by Bob
calling to him across the car park at the back of the shoppe to let
him know.
-
There must have been tears before
bedtime when one youngster went home without a bug-eyed, purple
plastic centipede. It wasn't nice to touch but the child
probably loved it. Now it lies in the upper "branches" of the
tree looking down on diners.
Elusive dish
THE diner knew exactly what she wanted
to eat for lunch. Fish and chips. But she couldn't find them
anywhere on Inglenook's menu. They must sell the dish, there were three fish adverts on
the tea shoppe's windows. Eventually, she gave up and asked where
the meal was listed. Bob had to point out that the "advertisements"
she had seen was the Christian fish symbol (right, as seen on the
tea shoppe's front door). Bob and Caroline are regular churchgoers,
and while they will not insist on customers saying grace before they
eat, diners will often get a cheery "God bless" as they leave.
Missing brolly
BOB was bemoaning the loss of the
green and white golfing umbrella seen on the umbrella tree
above when I called in once.
No-one had seen anyone leave with it, and no-one had borrowed it.
Maybe the rightful owner had returned having realised where they had
left it, and quietly taken it back rather than admit their absent
mindedness . . . !
Me, too
THE problem with writing about people's
fallibilities is that it can rebound on you. On a rainy day I took
my red and white golfing umbrella - with the "Nantwich, Best Kept
Secret" logo on it - to Inglenook Tea Shoppe and, yes, you've
guessed, left without it. When I returned a few days later, Bob lost
no time in drawing the attention of customers to the fact. Singling
out a customer and his wife who were just leaving, he explained
about this web page and gave him a business card with the website
domain name on it so he could look it up. "Easily done,"
said the understanding customer, referring to my absent-mindedness.
I thanked him as he left.
lSee
also this Letter from Nantwich. |
