Lost property?

[whole diary]

[the void]

yes possible, likely, no

so it's more likely that someone from fgw, rather than a member of the public, found your purse, took the money then hand delivered it to an address in liverpool?

[Mookiemoo]

No - neither options are likely!

[Ollie]

Erm okay if neither option is likely it must have posted itself then

[readytostart]

Erm okay if neither option is likely it must have posted itself then

I'm surprised self posting purses haven't taken off more. I could do with a self returning car for when I leave it at the pub.

[grahame]

No - neither options are likely!

There's no likely option ... !!!

My favourite ... is the two step process

a) Found by someone who helped him/herself to various goodies such as the cash, added the "all other items destroyed" and re-abandoned it on another train. Wording of the note suggests a possible inside or at least knowledgeable job, and an attempt to "smokescreen" what had happened as he/she expected it to go through the lost and found system after re-abandonment

b) A second person finds it re-abandoned, doesn't know the system ... perhaps happens to be passing Liverpool and quiety does his / her good deed.

Think I'm in agreement with "the void"'s first suggestion.  Don't expect that it was the person who took the parts (s)he wanted had any connection with the person who delivered it.

What proportion of lost property makes it into "the system", I wonder ....

[Phil]

I'm thinking Graham's right in that someone found it, helped themselves and abandoned it again; but then I reckon railway staff (and it might not only have been FGW^▸ (First Great Western) employees) passed it from colleague to colleague until someone local dropped it off.

My own son's wallet was returned  by Westbury staff with a similar hand-written note a few years back, albeit admittedly through the post - but not via "the system".

[Glovidge]

Didn't realise you hadn't pay to recover items of lost property at Paddington. Is this common practice?

[Ollie]

No - neither options are likely!

What proportion of lost property makes it into "the system", I wonder ....

I've dealt with a lost mobile phone recently, didn't go via "the system" I arranged to drop it off personally (at Polsloe Bridge) as I was going down that way anyway and was a slight diversion.

In most cases it's better to use the system though.

[coolsecretspy]

i lost a bag once commuting to college in Chippenham, i was never reunited with my bag despite all the calls to the two different First Great Western Lost Property Lines i was given...it's a good thing there was nothing valuable in there otherwise i would have got back on the train and stayed there until i found the bag! but it was still annoying to have lost the bag as it did set me back several months in my course as it had all my college work in it

[Oxford commuter]

First Great Western say that items left on First Great Western trains that terminate at a station that is not owned by First Great Western are the responsibility of the train company that owns that station.  This surprised me since I assume that it is First Great Western staff that check the train.  In my case, lost property on a train terminating at Worcester Shrub Hill is according to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) the responsibility of London Midland.  London Midland on the other hand are adamant that this is not the case.  I have tried ringing both companies a second time in case I get hold of somebody who thinks something different but am still left in a black hole.  Has anyone else had this problem?

[grahame]

First Great Western say that items left on First Great Western trains that terminate at a station that is not owned by First Great Western are the responsibility of the train company that owns that station.  This surprised me since I assume that it is First Great Western staff that check the train.  In my case, lost property on a train terminating at Worcester Shrub Hill is according to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) the responsibility of London Midland.  London Midland on the other hand are adamant that this is not the case.  I have tried ringing both companies a second time in case I get hold of somebody who thinks something different but am still left in a black hole.  Has anyone else had this problem?

At http://www.londonmidland.com/contact/lost-property/ , London Midland say:

When we find an item of lost propety on our trains or at one of our stations we will try to contact the owner if they can be identified.

At http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Customer-services/Lost-Property , First Great Western say:

Items lost on the train

If you have left items on a train, they will most probably be found at the final destination station either by our on-board crew, cleaners or engineers. The train company who manage the destination station are responsible for dealing with any such lost property items, and you will need to contact that company to see if they have found your items.

The most common destination stations for First Great Western trains, the train company who manage them and their lost property contact details are:

Worcester & Hereford; London Midland;0121 634 2040

Welcome to the Forum.  Looks to me like it should be London Midland, but I note the words most probably and if a train has a fast turn around, the property may not get found or handed over until the return journey ...