Community / The kindness of islanders
A PENSIONER from Unst has praised the kindness of islanders who supported him while he was trying to find his wallet he believed he had lost at the Toll Clock shopping centre in Lerwick on Wednesday.
Frank Josephs contacted the Shetland News office yesterday (Thursday) in a bid to say thank you to all of those who had helped him along the way.
He said he was particularly grateful for support he had received from Toll Clock owner Malcolm Younger and the women working in the office at Lerwick Town Hall.
The 78-year-old was however less impressed when he found Lerwick Police Station to be locked, unable to report the loss of his wallet.
“I misplaced my wallet when I was in the Toll Clock. I asked in the Olive Tree and the shop next to it to no avail, but Malcolm Younger came with me to ask at all the nearby shops…a problem shared is a problem halved I thought,” Josephs says as takes up the story of his ordeal.
“We even checked my car, probably three times.”
He finally ended up going to the police station hoping to report his loss, but no such luck.
Josephs continued: “I had left my coat in the car, and it was pouring down; found the police station but every door was locked and nobody around; met the police station janitor, Ben, who was very helpful and took me in and out of the rain.
“This did concern me because what would happen if there was an emergency? Lots of phone numbers on the locked doors to ring but my phone has no signal in that area.”
Josephs finally ended up in the town hall opposite the police station where they allowed him to use the phone to call his wife so that she could cancel his bank cards.
“The three girls in there were so supportive and sympathetic and really cheered me up with their banter,” he said.
Josephs added: “I then left the office to drive back home to Unst and thought I would just check my car again and lo and behold there was my wallet tucked right inside on the floor next to my seat.
“I felt like an idiot but was very relieved as my driving licence and other cards were also in there. Popped back into the girls to show them my wallet and they were as delighted as me!”
And so, something good came out of a situation that could have caused a lot of inconvenience.
“Every shop we went in to enquire about the wallet were so sympathetic,” Josephs said. “Typical of Shetland folk though – thank you to them all!”
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