A feeling of relief and happiness, perhaps elation, this morning. Many years ago my mum gave me an family item. It was a silver* box in the shape of a prayer book with a cross on the front and a ‘secret’ sliding lid. Inside was a half sovereign. I put it safely in a drawer under the bed.

One day, 10+ years ago, I had a clearout in the bedroom and things I didn’t want went out in a black bin bag.

A few years after that I looked for the box, can’t remember why. It wasn’t under the bed and I couldn’t find it in any other obvious places. Since then I’ve had a feeling of guilt at accidentally throwing it out and it being in a landfill site.

Today I was in a cupboard on the landing and put my hand into a cardboard box at the back which I was sure had stamps in (in albums, tins and envelopes) but wanted to be certain before I lifted it out. The first box I pulled out was an old metal biscuit tin full of loose stamps. The second was the missing silver prayer book box :) Couldn’t believe it. I shook it and it rattled, then worked out how to get in.

This afternoon I walked up through StockGhyll Wood and photographed a picnic table. Would have been fun to do it with a macro lens too.

* Silver coloured. Not hallmarked and not magnetic. Hinge section is a different metal.