A slight case of overblogging

Way back in November 2003 I had my bike nicked. I didn't talk much about it here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/lnr/177948.html) it seems, although I did post to cam.misc. I did report it to the police, but they didn't find it and over time I figured it was gone for good and wouldn't be coming back. It had been chained to itself as well as the fence, so it didn't look like just an opportunist looking for a quick ride home, and I guessed it would have been flogged outside Cambridge.

Yesterday evening Mike and I went to see Hitchhikers at the Cineworld in Cambridge. And as I arrived early and pulled up at the nearest available bike stand to the door I happened to look at the bike parked on the next rack. It was mine. I mean I had to look several times to be sure but there's absolutely no mistaking it. Phillipson Special Build transfers, greeny-grey metallic paint, the sticker on the front saying Phillipsons, Garforth, Leeds. It even still has the same light fittings, the fitting for the bike computer, and the mad contraption for holding the bottle cage on given the bike has no lugs for on. Only change is it's looking a bi grubby and they've added a basket. *boggle*

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I have a spare lock at home for tomorrow at least. And I know I have the original receipt for the bike (hoarded by my mum in their byzantine filing system and sent to me more as a memento), somewhere there should be a record of me reporting it stolen, and I have a couple of photos of me with it (photo 1, photo 2). I'm just still completely boggled by the idea of it turning up now though.

ETA (2:30pm): Aha, I have a very kind offer of a large chunky chain from armb, which I shall add to it tomorrow if it's not resolved by then. No call yet.

ETA2: I posted a link to my original cam.misc post and this journal entry to cam.transport today too. You can follow the resulting thread

6:25pm: Awww! A happy ending. Just got a call on my mobile. She said she was Cassie or something similar, I explained that the bike had been stolen from me. And she said she'd unlock it and I could just go pick it up! Someone gave it to her when her bike was stolen from outside her work a while back. She said she was really pleased we'd been reunited, and that it was a lovely bike :-) So I guess I'll be popping over there tomorrow lunchtime or something. Too tired to go tonight, and I have a meeting first thing tomorrow.