The Training Day.

Last year in October I went on a training day with some of my colleagues, it was for First Aid at Work, it was all good. In the break, I went to the loo, but the few cubicles in that section of the hotel, were all taken so I went opposite to the disable loo. It was large and an odd shape, oblong! As I walked in the loo was on my far left, the sink was not quite in the middle, and behind the door on my right was nothing, well almost nothing for when I shut the door I saw on the empty side of the large room, there on the floor was a ring.

I picked up the ring, it was beautiful it had three big diamonds with the middle diamond slightly bigger than the other two. I could see there was something engraved inside. I took pictures of it so I would have proof that I found it and that it was in my hand. I couldn’t make out what was on the inside. But in the blurry photos it does show that something is written inside.

I knew I would hand it in to reception, there was no doubt that would not happen, I just hoped that when I got there, that there would be more than one person at the reception desk, so they would be able to give account of what I was going to do. For if I was to hand it into reception and it was to just one person, I would feel it was maybe my word against theirs.

So, I was relieved when I arrived at reception of the hotel to see there was three members of Staff, I said to them, “I’ve just found this ring in the disabled loo and I’m handing it in,” The Staff with the dark shoulder length hair, took it from me and said, “That’s a beauty, where did you find it?” I repeated myself again, “In the disabled loo,” In turn they looked at the ring, they too could see something was engraved on the inside. The Staff with the shoulder length hair said to me, “I’ll put it in an envelope and put it in our safe,” She went and got an envelope and on it in front of me and her two colleagues, she wrote the date and where it was found and she signed it and sealed it in front of us. She said, “Thank you, this will be kept safe, it was honest of you to hand it in, someone will be looking for this,” I said, “I had to hand it in,” And added, “I’ve got to go back to the training now.” And I left the three of them there at reception.

I went back in to the training room, where some were having their Lunch. I didn’t say anything until the first aid training was started again and I told the whole room, without exception they all said, “You should have kept the ring!” My work colleague said, “I’d have gone straight to Cash Converters with it.” I said, “I couldn’t have done that, I had to hand it in.”

Later on, back at home my Husband Paul said, “You should have kept the ring, you shouldn’t have handed it in,” I told him “If I’d found it on the street, then I would have kept it, but it was inside a building, of an hotel, someone was there.”

About a week later, I happen to be passing the hotel I stopped and went in, and went to the reception and said, “About a week ago I was here on training and I found a ring,” The Staff behind the desk said, “It was me you hand the ring to, I will go and get it, it is still here, unclaimed, but someone must be looking for it.” She went and got the ring, and opened the sealed envelope and showed me the ring again, then she wrote on the envelope, “Ring shown.” And the date I was there, I said, “Please can you put my name on the envelope,” I gave her my name and as I watched she wrote my name down. I left and I wasn’t sure why I’d gone, I was hoping she would say I could have the ring, but there was no suggestion of that.

In late December I was near the hotel again and I thought I must give them my details so they will know who handed the ring in so either the person can know it was me, or they the hotel Staff could phone me and tell me to come and get it. So, again I went in and said, “I was here at train….” But before I could say anymore, she said, “It was me you handed the ring to, it is still here, I’ll go and get it,” I said to her before she left reception, I’d like to give you my full contact details, as I’ve not done that yet.” She returned with the sealed envelope and took out the ring and showed me and she took my full name, address and mobile number. She asked again, “Was it on the sink?” I said, “No, on the floor the other end of the room, almost behind the door,” She said, “Someone must be looking for it,” I said, “I agree.” This time I left feeling a bit happier, knowing she had all my contact details.

I wouldn’t keep the ring, if I had that phone call to say, “Come and get it,” I would take it to three different places and ask them what they would give me for it, and who ever offered me the highest, amount that’s the one I’d sell it to.

Now it’s the middle of January 2019A.D. no phone call I was thinking what do I do now? So, I looked on the internet for information, and there was information Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers, the person giving their experience and said, if an item is handed into the police station, a form is written out and if not claimed after 28 days then the finder can keep it but not a laptop, computer, mobile phone, anything that has data on, cannot be kept, so if I’d handed the ring into the police, I’d have probably have it 28 days later. So, this week after I read the information on the internet, I was thinking of going back to the hotel and asking for the ring, I would show them the info about the 28 days, but even then nothing is in stone, it’s up to the person’s discretion if they give you the item or not, or I could say to them at the hotel that I’m going to the police and asking their advice, but that might upset them, and I don’t want to do that.

People at work have asked me, “How much do you think it’s worth?” I told them, “I don’t know but maybe up to a £1000, because of the size of the diamonds.”

Do I regret handing it in? One hundred percent no, if I end up getting the ring great, if not, I still think I did the right thing. But You, what would you have done, if You had found it there in the hotel in the loo?