Hi Everyone,
Firstly a major thank you for your support and kind words. It really has been a traumatic 24 hours with a reasonably happy ending.
Let me outline exactly what happened.
Following a terrific get together at the ION Bar, London on Monday night, we drove back on Tuesday and had a 7pm meeting at the Gateway Hotel, Nottingham, situated 1 mile from the M1/Jnc 26.
We parked outside the Main Entrance as the Car Park was full. Good lighting, CCTV etc.
The main problem with this well known venue is, it backs on to the Broxtowe/Strelley/Cinderhill estates, notorious for Drugs/Burglary etc, which overshadow the majority of decent people who live there.
At 9.30pm, we realised someone had smashed the whole of the back window, which is no mean feat on a 4x4. You could not see into the back, so clearly a random 'lets take a chance n grab' scenario by local druggies.
Following a sleepless night for the pair of us, a good samaritan from Broxtowe called us at 11am to say he had found my records strewn over the grass verge on Banks Lane close to the hotel along with our credit cards, driver's license etc etc. He discovered them cycling to work at 7am this morning.
Clearly these were robbed by local scally's and not Soul fans.
At 3pm this afternoon, I got the majority of my treasures back.
At first glance my Lou Pride and Yum-Yums originals are missing and some British 45's are slightly water damaged ie Mary Love(King), Lynn Randell(CBS) with Herbert Hunter(Spar) cracked.
My credit cards are intact but obviously we had cancelled them last night.
The police are busy collating surveillance data, so hopefully the perpetrators will be caught.
I think we all share the same mind about the thieving our Northern Soul originals.
PLEASE TAKE EXTRA CARE OF YOURS!
Once again.....thank you for your concern. The pair of us can sleep a tad easier tonight.
Best Wishes,
Kev and Sam
PS To John Manship...thanks for your call....very much appreciated.