‘Thieves nearly ruined party - now they must face the music’
MHLC-10-09-12 retirement burglary SEP38 Patty Ford and Tim Huggan. Patty was preparing to celebrate her retirement on Friday but on the afternoon before her party a burglar came into the house and stole the keys to the hire car that had party equipment and her passport in.
THEY may have stolen the disco lights, but thieves could not take away the love and appreciation that lit up a Leamington nurse’s retirement celebration.
Community psychiatric nurse Patty Ford had planned her goodbye party at the Newbold Comyn Arms last Friday down to the last detail, inviting friends and colleagues and decorating the venue with items from her career.
And to follow the celebration, she and her partner Tim Huggan were planning a trip to the US.
But the big day was nearly derailed when car key burglars stole the car she had packed with decorations - and her passport and driving licence - from outside Mr Huggan’s house in Heath Terrace only hours before the party.
Ms Ford said: “I was stunned. We’d been planning the party for weeks and weeks.
“You’ve finished your career, you feel full of the joys of spring. I worked so hard and gave so much to people. The irony of somebody with the audacity and disregard taking everything you want to celebrate all your years of giving is so cruel.”
Now 61, Ms Ford had run her own catering business before becoming a nurse in her late 30s. She said the love, appreciation and respect she received helping patients compensated for the drop in her earnings.
She admits that the theft at first made her want to cancel everything, but she and partner Tim soon rallied, filling the venue with balloons and using decorations given by Mr Huggan’s mother.
Ms Ford added: “I was distraught because so much care had gone into everything. I started to cry and my partner said, come on, everybody’s there - we have to get on with it.
“It’s a cliché but I did say the show must go on.”
The couple are appealing for anyone with information about the car and its contents, which include disco lights and a camcorder. The car, a bright blue Chevrolet Spark, registration number LL61 SMO, was stolen between 3pm and 3.20pm. Call Leamington police on 415000 or 101.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leamington
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
