Random reminder

Press, 24 March 1984, Page 32

Random reminder

NEIGHBOURS AWAKE The story is now a year or two old. A certain person’s embarrassment has faded; the humour emerges. Two people were involved, and a black and white television, innocent enough perhaps! One of the two was an elderly woman, spry and spritely, a keen gardener. She lived by herself. The other was a businessman, a stalwart of one service club or another, who lived across the road. The TV was an ancient model, hers. Nothing daunted by the precipitate onslaught of modern science, she had acquired a colour television set. The black and white, now sadly redundant, was relegated to the public gallery where it gathered dust. A month or two later she casually mentioned the older model’s existence to the other party involved in this episode. He brightened and mentioned an auction he was organising — perhaps they might have it? Of course, she said. The event was still a little way off. She agreed to babysit the article until required. The next step in this chronicle saw her

slip and break a leg. She went into hospital where relations and friends plied her with the essential ingredients to combat a spartan diet. One such visitor was her across-the-street-neighbour. “The key’s under the third rosebush along the path ... etc.” He was to go in and pick the TV up. No problems so far. He duly went around to her place. As happens in these stories, he couldn’t find the key. A window was slightly open. With dexterity bom of something (we dare not say!) he prised it open and slipped inside. He found the TV and opened the front door. His car was parked in the drive, its boot open. He shuffled around and lowered the object. There was a tap on his shoulder. A young constable stood behind him. Not quite “Hello, hello, hello — what’s this then?” but near enough. It took a lot of explaining but... well, eventually he was allowed to depart with the not-so-stolen valuable.

But who shopped him? And, more importantly, do they keep as good a watch on his place?