Joy for Hazel as lost heirloom returned

Nov 7 2009 The Journal

GRANDMOTHER Hazel Theobald was distraught when she misplaced a precious family heirloom belonging to a relative who died during the First World War.

The 80-year-old religiously wore a unique necklace – a sports medal won by her late husband’s uncle during the war – but it fell off her neck as she travelled home one night.

After frantically tracing her steps from that evening and numerous phone calls to lost property, Mrs Theobald thought she may have lost the Chalmers Cup medal forever.

But by a great stroke of luck, the locket was picked up by British Transport Police Officer PCSO Dean Kitching who appealed through the media to trace the token’s owner.

Yesterday, Mrs Theobald, of Southwick Road, Sunderland, was reunited with the necklace and immediately had the clasp replaced to ensure she would not lose it again.

She said: “I’m completely overwhelmed – I thought I would never see it again.

“Because of its value, I thought some would have picked it up and sold it on.

“I keep it round my neck all the time because it has such a sentimental value – it’s been passed through the family.

“I tried everything I could think of when I realised it had gone. My husband’s uncle, who the medal belonged to, died during the war, so it was so upsetting to lose it. I really thought I would never see it again – I’m over the moon.”

Mrs Theobald misplaced the medal about a month ago and it wasn’t until a week later that PCSO Kitching discovered it. Another officer talked to Mrs Theobald over the phone when she rang lost property but couldn’t find her details.

Last week, an appeal went out in the media and one of Mrs Theobald’s friends spotted it and told the delighted grandmother.

A spokesperson for the BTP said: “By chance, an officer found the locket by the ticket machine in Sunderland Station. It was a good few weeks after Mrs Theobald misplaced it, so it was extremely lucky.”