A £10,000 reward is being offered for the return of a valuable 17th Century violin which was left on a train.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7345923.stm

I'm cross enough because my cello's broken and it's not even mine and is probably worth like 1/5000 of that! I hope he gets it back.

If I owned a violin like that I would never let it out of my sight. Put it on the seat next to me and padlock mself to it!

What does he mean 'he was trying to behave normally' - it was a violin not a bomb! Or do people with violins act a bit odd? Or does he mean people with violins are a tad forgetful.

Anyway - more money than sense springs to mind

well if i found that violin i know i wouldn't turn it in for 10K lol... more like sell it for 180K.

Hope you're joking, hello_cello!

I can't quite believe that anyone would be daft enough to forget a violin they'd just had valued at so much! I mean, if you'd just "won" £180,000, would you really forget about it so quickly? Sounds a bit fishy to me, but perhaps I'm a cynic!

Well, after the whole country was led a merry dance about 'the missing girl' - it did cross my mind that...the auctioneer might not exist or the violin - if it did exist - was only worth 10 quid. It does seem very farfetched to just forget it - especially after he'd put so much effort into 'acting normal' it must have crossed his mind that he was trying to 'act normal' for some reason. I'm finding it very hard to drum up sympathy.

I read this story with a sinking heart - the late Elizabeth Hunt who owned the violin was my teacher! She had a 'teaching' violin and the Gofriller was her 'performing' violin so the times when she played it in lessons were really special. I don't think I was ever allowed to touch it, let alone play it but I remember it really well!

So the violin definitely exists! But I'm not in touch with her family so I don't have any inside info on the rest of the story.

But it does sound like the sort of thing my husband would do - maybe it's a man thing?

Mine too! He has done the same thing with a clarinet - and with a frozen haggis...

W

I have left my violin in incredibly stupid places...so not a man thing. Problem is, I don't think people think about their instrument in terms of cost much. I don't - I obviously value it hugely, but I also don't treat it as carefully as I would if I had £x inside my case...if I did I would never take it anywhere or play it. Poor guy.

sorry, but being Scottish, I can't help thinking how relieved the haggis was.... (and of course you can't 'freeze' a haggis because they live at such low temperatures on the Scottish mountains that mere human-freezers are a day on the beach to them )

I felt more sorry for the person who must have discovered it...

W

Don't see why he had to put it on the luggage rack - I always keep my violin with me and it's worth under £500! Oh well, bit late for comments like that now I suppose!

Yes, I heard about that. I saw it in the newspaper. I would NEVER leave my instrument, ANYWHERE!! I love it too much!! I hope the person who has it will hand it in!!

D x

Does anybody think that by saying how expensive was, they lessened the likeliness of him getting it back?
Although hopefully some kind-natured person will have to and he will get it back

x

If I travel by train with my violin I don't put it on the luggage rack but keep it right next to me at all times. Or I take sandwiches and a drink so there's no need to go to the buffet - or take it with me to the buffet/loo. Sounds neurotic perhaps, but it just isn't worth the risk.

From reading the article and listening to the interview did anyone get the impression this man wasn't actually a violinist but had received the violin as an heirloom? And he took it to be revalued because he was going to sell it? Somehow he didn't sound quite as emotional as a violinist would sound if they lost their beloved instrument. Or have I got it completely wrong?

From memories of the time when I was still having lessons with Miss Hunt (Lady Napier), some of her children became professional musicians but not all of them. As it says in the article, the violin was left to them all jointly.

OH OK I missed that part of the article. So he was just taking it up there to get it revalued and managed to lose it? And it was all their inheritance? What a prat! Sorry if that sounds a bit strong but if a brother of mine managed to lose upwards of £40,000 of mine as haplessly as that I'd be pretty furious!

Indeed!! I don't think there are any reactions in the press from his siblings. Probably unprintable!

That was my reaction too Violinia... Especially AFTER he'd been told how much it was worth! Even though he wasn't a violinist and it wasn't his precious violin, surely having a figure like that put on it would make you more careful...

OK here's a wild theory:

What if the whole thing was a plan and the man didn't leave the violin on the train at all but passed it on to an accomplice earlier that day to be sold immediately abroad so they could claim on the insurance as well as collect (approx) £180,000? Or he passed it on to an accomplice on the train to avoid the danger of being seen on CCTV boarding the train minus a violin?

Or he did the same to avoid sharing the proceeds with his siblings?

The man used to be some kind of shipbroker or something so he'd know how to hide money in a secret off-shore bank account! Or have I just watched too many movies?

Er.. think you may be getting close to libel here, Violinia! Must be the lateness of the hour.

I know, I know and yes a few glasses have been imbibed tonight and hey! - I was only speculating! Is it libellous to speculate?

Oh well, I hope it's found anyway