(Have posted this on clarinet forum as well, sorry for cross-post but hope nobody minds in this instance...)


Hi everyone

This morning I got off my train to work in London ? and left my clarinet on the train's luggage rack.

It is a Buffet RC Prestige B flat with very obvious cracking (on the bit you hold with your left hand).

The serial number is 18 56 94.


It dates from 1978 and is a bit battered but much loved.

I cannot believe I have done this and am hoping some kind person hands it in to South West Trains lost property.

If anyone is offered this clarinet or sees it on eBay ect, I'd be forever grateful if you'd let me know via these forums.

Thanks

Rob

If it's any consolation, my room mate left her flute on the tube many years ago, and it was handed in to lost property. Fingers crossed that some decent person does the same for you.

hope you get it back

Have you contacted the lost property office? I think there's a good chance that you will get it back, especially as you alighted at a terminal - everyone leaves together and the next people through will probably be the cleaners or guard.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/contact/871.aspx

Hope you are able to get it back!

TFL seems to handle overground trains as well as other London transport. I couldn't find a separate link for south-west trains' lost property.

South West Trains Lost Property

Fingers crossed you get it back.

Are you on Twitter? If you tweet @SW_Trains they will retweet your message to their followers to see if anyone's seen it. If you're not on Twitter, PM me with details of which train it was and I can tweet a message for you

Thats sad.

Scan the second hand ads carefully if it is not handed in. It will turn up locally if some rotter nicked it.

Most people are honest - fingers crossed it will be handed in.

And I once left the harp behind at a concert and didnt even notice til DD went to play that night and it wasnt there. I had packed it up, gone for a cup and tea and had a seriously blonde moment. That was a bad night before I could rescue it the next day. It was in a church but thats no guarantee against theft!

Thanks - I'm in touch with lost property at Waterloo but will try Twitter, good call.

One thing is I've had 'global' coverage on my insurance which covers public transport. Not 100% sure there isnt some strange clause that covers being blonde but you'd think they'd pay out. Called up yesterday to let them know anyway.

Will let you know if it turns up!

cheers.

Rob4, very much hope your clarinet is found and returned to you.

I once went to the GNER Lost Property office at Newark as I had left my Barbour jacket on the train at Peterborough, complete with car keys!

There were some amazing things there, including complete computers, (desktops in boxes, not just laptops) walking sticks, Zimmer Frames, prams, pot plants. You name it!

The moral of this story is that most rail passengers are honest, lost property departments do work, and they are as keen to return your property as you are to reclaim it, although for some reason it did take about a week for my jacket to make its way back from Kings Cross to Newark.

I do hope you get your clarinet back.

SB

Many years ago, before I moved to England, I read an interesting article called "Losing it in London". Basically, it said London is one of the best cities in the world to lose something, as you have a great chance of getting it back!

Lets's hope a good Londoner has returned your Clarinet to the "Lost Items" dept.

Thanks for all replies.
Incredibly it turned up in South West Trains lost property at Waterloo this afternoon.
I seriously almost hugged the bloke when he brought it in.
He told me he's a guitarist and collects all the musical instruments that turn up in one place so he can keep tabs on them more easily. As he told me: "I know what these things are like."
Think I'll bring him a crate of beer on Monday!

Anyway, I won't do that again. Not a good week.
:-)

So pleased for you!

Fantastic! and kudos to the SW trains lost property guy

Been following this thread, glad to hear you've got it back

That is excellent news.

Restores your faith in human nature doesn't it?

Enjoy your weekend with clari!

SB

I am so pleased for you. One of my pupes left her silver flute with gold lip-plate on a train last spring but never got it back

Crate of beer sounds like a Plan to me

Lost-Property-Bag x

Glad to hear the good news - the worry must have been gut-wrenching. Most people are honest: unfortunately it's the bad stories that make it into the newpapers and which people read and hear about.

Have fun playing this weekend.

Very pleased for you that you are reunited with your clarinet. You'll probably never let go of it on a train ever again!

Great news - lovely to hear that some kind person handed it in and that the system works!

So pleased for you! forum celebrations

Marvellous news!

Phew. Well done South West Trains Lost Property.

Good news .

A friend of mine left her professional flute on a bus a year ago - and, like Bag's pupil, never got it back .

Excellent news

Great news! thanks for letting us know

Yes, - what maggiemay said.

Delighted.

OMG, wonderful news!

There are many decent people left in the world. Glad to hear your good news

So glad you got your clarinet back.

My daughter once left her violin on a train. I called SWT at Waterloo and they didn't have it but suggested I try the lost property office at Victoria too, as some of the trains on my daughter's line ended up there. I was just about to do that when I had a phone call from the teacher who coaches my daughter's quartet to let me know her violin had been handed in. Someone at Victoria had opened the case, found a note from the teacher giving his contact details, and had taken the trouble to phone him and let him know.

What a relief!

Oh lord btdt. The official lines of communication were rubbish - I was pretty much hysterical after many phone calls to Waterloo lost property ppl - and then that evening I had a call from a very Hampshire chap who said "'ave you lost an oboe?" Lovely lovely station master said he thought it was probably very important to the owner so instead of going through the proper channels he just phoned me up and asked when I'd like to come and collect it.

Moral of the story is KEEP YOUR PHONE NUMBER IN THE CASE!!!

I hope you are as fortunate. (where's the sympathy smiley?)

btdt?

Great to hear you got your clarinet back, rob4. At least I can be reassured that I'll never leave my piano behind on the train...or will I?

btdt - 'been there, done that', I think!

So glad you got your clarinet back - what a fright.

Your story brings to mind a song......

I left my clarinet
On the 7.23;
From Waterloo station
It calls to me...
If any of you see it,
Please mention that its me it
Belongs to, longs to
Return to.

I think those were the words anyway.....

Thanks carys, I spent ages trying to work that out!