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<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">The case I mentioned, if correctly
reported, really doesn't reflect at all well on Police powers of observation and
detection. The notice actually says:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB>Above the central branch of the E, which forms the main staircase of
the new wing, a belfry was added whose bell carried the elaborately moulded
inscription: CHARLES STANFORD ESQUIRE – ELENOR – 1610. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Elenor was John Alderford's daughter, who
brought the Hall for her husband, Charles Stanford on Alderford's death in 1606.
The dating of the bell in 1610 possibly marked the completion of the new wing
begun in 1602. For nearly 4 centuries the bell hung in its belfry undisturbed.
But the old Hall fell on hard times. The Stanfords died out, and their family
home was left unoccupied and largely deserted. In the 1980s squatters, gypsies
and thieves stripped the building of everything remaining of value, and the last
act of vandalism was the theft of the bell itself in June 1987. In July 1987
Charter Hotels Ltd, a family company spent two years restoring the Hall to its
former beauty and grace. The forlorn empty belfry was given a new brass bell,
filling the void but without the history of romance of the original. Then in
1989, when the renovated building was opened as a hotel, the story of the old
bell took a strange twist. A neighbour reported that <STRONG>it had been sold by
auction in Stratford, offered for sale not by the thief, but by the
Police!</STRONG> It appeared the thief had been caught quickly. but the Police
had been unable to link the bell, which they found among his assorted loot. The
neighbour had immediately recognised the bell and its message, <STRONG>but the
Police claimed they had not even noticed it carried one</STRONG>. Charter Hotels
traced the bells purchaser, bought it back, and restored it to its ancestral
home. It now has a proud place in the reception lounge, where guests can admire
its striking inscription and reflect on its romantic history.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Peter is right, and the Heritage
Protection team can't be experts at everything - but we might hope they make use
of any clues that are available. Unless part of the plan is to sell off
unclaimed stuff to pay for the scheme!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS">Cynical? Yes, I'm afraid
so</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2 face="Comic Sans MS"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"
lang=EN-GB><FONT size=2
face="Comic Sans MS">CP</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>