In the early 1990’s I was still very much trying to find myself, and in my misguidedness, spent most of my leisure time watching very predictable rock and blues bands in the equally predictable pubs of Swindon in Wiltshire.  Music was my main passion at the time and I had been (and still am) an admirer of the guitar playing of Keith Richards.  Keef, as he is affectionately known, released a solo album around this time called “Main Offender“.  As Christmas approached it came to pass that my nephew, Steve, was going to buy me two cassttes as Christmas presents.  I requested Main Offender and one other, the name of which escapes me.  This isn’t particularly unusual, except for the fact that getting anything out of Steve was like getting blood from a stone, so I wasn’t going to miss the chance of getting, not one, but two presents off him in one hit.  As things turned out the other cassette was out of stock when he went to buy them, and in true Steve fashion, his promise to “get it for you later” remained just a promise.  But one out of two wasn’t bad in any situation concerning the Holmesies.

Just after getting my copy of Main Offender I went to stay with my mother on a temporary basis while I sorted out one of the many messes that became the norm in my life.  When the time came for me to move on I couldn’t find the cassette anywhere.  I knew exactly where I’d put it but it was no where to be seen.  I hunted high and low as I cleared all my belongings from the upstairs bedroom, but to no avail.

There was a 1960’s dressing table in that bedroom with a small cupboard on each side.  The cupboards contained very narrow shelves; ideal for storing a couple of cassette tapes.  I was convinced that this was where I’d put the cassette, but it just wasn’t there.  Over the years during visits to my mother I continued to search the bedroom in every nook and cranny, and yes, I looked in the dresser cupboards every time, but they were empty.

As the years rolled by my mother became more and more frail, and almost inevitably, dementia started to set in.  It got to the point where I had to get her moved as she was finding the stairs more and more difficult.  The time came when the move was going ahead and I started to pack and move as much stuff as I could before the removals van came to take the bigger items.  It got to the point where the bedroom I’d slept in was empty except for bed, wardrobe and dresser.  I decided to tape up the drawers and side cupboards to make moving the dresser easier, and as I did so, force of habit prompted me to look once again in the side cupboards, which of course would be empty.  To my amazement when I opened the cupboards they were empty except for one single item….my copy of “Main Offender” by Keef Richards.

I have never been able to fathom out the purpose of spirit resorting to these kinds of tricks.  I could understand if I had no understanding of spirit and they were trying to attract my attention.  But I had already been a working medium for three years and I just didn’t see what purpose it served apart from causing mild amusement.  As I muse on this today I can only assume that the tape was apported away out of mischief by “soul or souls unknown” and returned by “friend or friends unknown” out of a simple act of spirit kindness.  Either way I will never know who nicked my copy of Main Offender, and the amazing case of the missing cassette tape will remain unsolved forever.

Spain here I come!