storbarnsförälder

Our trike was stolen. And found.

The local Cycle Campaign's secretary lives down the road - she often babysat Linnea - and of course we let her know when it went. She popped in yesterday evening to say all the sheds on the allotments had been burgled too. And I said it yesterday afternoon to one of the guys who runs the coffee shop - fair trade coffee, locally made cakes, etc - and we reported it to the police and the local paper and so on.

On Friday I left my name and number in the coffee shop so that they could pass it on to the woman who makes the cakes, so we can buy a cake for Linnea's birthday. On Saturday I met that woman in the Farmer's Market anyway, but since neither of us had pen and paper that's ok. This evening, finding my number in the coffee shop, the other guy who runs it phoned me to say he'd seen the trike. He gave me an address.

I hung up on him rather abruptly, though I did say goodbye and things, and called the police with one phone and Rob with the other - the police answered first. So I told them, then called Rob again, and told him, and he came home, and we went out to find it.

Rob found it and I went to the coffeeshop to thank the guys and the woman who makes cakes was there and we discussed allergies and intolerances and personal preferences and she's going to have a think and get back to me.

Then we went to the food co-op and chatted about it there with the people who know from whom we buy our food - the founder of the True Food Co-op used to deliver our veg and come in for tea and he gave us a lovely wedding card and things - and on the way home we passed a number of friends' houses we'd have dropped in on if it hadn't been so late.

Now I really do need to source a bracket for the child seat for the rear carrier :)

So the trike was pinched. And I printed, signed, and posted seven copies of the formal complaint to the hospital about the events surrounding Linnea's birth. Two were sent recorded delivery, to the complaints dept and the chief exec; three were sent first class post, to the ob who deals with the birth trauma clinic, the head of midwifery, and the PALS, and two were hand-delivered, to my GP and my Health Visitor.

Then I ate two huge chocolate muffins with dairy in them and was subsequently unwell but I *needed* the comfort food and I wanted to go to my favourite cafe.

So now we wait. If I don't hear from them within 21 days I go to a solicitor - that's 11 April, allowing for post delivery time.

I've also hired the venue for Linnea's birthday party; a little hall down the road where we can have an at-home style party with a little more space and no cat-allergy issues.