Recycling staff praised for tracking down precious family heirloom
Published: 5 July 2021
A father and son have been reunited with a family heirloom - a Wedgewood serving plate – after it was accidentally posted through a paper recycling bank.
Staff at Exeter City Council have been praised after managing to track the plate down and return the precious heirloom back to its rightful owners without a scratch or scrape.
The Wedgewood plate – one of only 500 made - was inadvertently posted through a paper bank in Topsham by the owner who was recycling a pile of newspapers. The plate – wrapped in newspaper to prevent it being damaged - was being transported in the car along with the stash of old newspapers.
When the father realised his error, he immediately contacted the City Council’s Recycling team at Exton Road, to let them know of his dilemma.
However, the Council were unable to get the plate back immediately, as the specialist vehicle that empties the paper and bottle banks was off the road being fixed.
There followed an anxious three-week wait for the family – would the team find the much-loved plate and would it be in one piece?
Staff at the Council’s Materials Reclamation Facility were able to bring in the contents of the paper bank and carefully fish out the plate.
Recycling Officer Fiona Tame, said: “We realised how much the plate meant to the family and were desperate to get it back to them in one piece. We were able to identify the bank in which it was placed and then when the load was emptied we saw it slide out. It was such a relief!”
The father’s son said: “I can’t thank the staff at the City Council enough. You should have seen the sheer joy on my father’s face when I arrived with the plate on Monday! It was so important to him that even yesterday he asked to be sat up and inspect his plate again. You and your recycling team fill my heart with cheer!”
The father and son were so happy to get their hands back on the plate, they bought the recycling staff some chocolates to thank them for their efforts.
Fiona, who was at the heart of the mission to track down the plate said she was born and brought up in the ‘Potteries’ region in Stoke-on-Trent, where the plate originated.
“We were delighted to help out and reunite the family with their precious cargo. We knew it meant so much to them, so it was the least we could do. We are just pleased that it was a happy ending,” she added.