I’ve had a few more responses about lost items following my column on the patron saint of such things, St Anthony of Padua.

If you recall, he is the patron saint of wayward possessions, people and even faith, having been credited with many miracles that recovered seemingly unrecoverable losses.

Canada-based Lynn Catena contacted me saying: “I have a friend who texts asking me to pray to St Anthony for her. It’s probably worked two or three times. The last time, sadly, her passport remained lost. But I reminded her that she could show her Nexus card to return home to Canada from the US (A Nexus card is a form of identification that allows US and Canadian residents to cross between the two countries without a passport). The other times her diamond engagement ring and a lost diamond pendant from a broken necklace were located.”

Monica Ganz from the USA added: “I’ve often prayed to St Anthony for things. Sometimes I have found the item, sometimes not. Interesting story about the novice monk who stole St Anthony’s prayer book, but then brought it back. Imagine how awful that must have been for St Anthony! Oh, loved your ending. It is a mystery on how we search for things only to find them in strange places.”

Yorkshire cyclist and blogger Rob Ainsley recalled a story from around 1982: “I went to the fair one evening with a friend. As we headed home for the night from our last ride, the rollercoaster, he noticed a bunch of keys on the muddy path in front of us. 'Look,' he said, 'Someone's dropped their keys. I'll take them to the police station and hand them in.' Except he didn't have to: they were his. They'd fallen out his pocket during the ride, unbeknown to him, and he'd stumbled on his own keys quite by chance… My mate was Dave. I wish I had his magic powers today. My fabulous thief-resistant 15 out of 15-rated bike lock isn't much use until I remember that safe, memorable location where I put the keys!”

It is always sad, though, when we lose something that is meaningful, as mentioned by Liz Davidson, who also happens to be my aunt, and her mum was my grandmother: “I have a few single earrings. I have one Whitby Jet earring which was my mother's. I’ve never found its mate.”

Clare Proctor came up with a suggestion for my treasured, now single, diamond earring: “A second piercing is definitely the way to go, especially for your diamond - or have it set in a ring instead and wear that. I have been known to wear odd earrings, if they compliment each other. Do not throw your diamond away - it may be reunited with its partner one day - think of that elephant!”

"That elephant" refers to a pendant that was lost by a friend of Clare’s until it fell out of a sofa during a house move many years later.

Lynne Wheatley suggests: “You must also write about lost shoes. So many people lose one shoe - how many different shoes have we seen in different places? Whenever I see one my mind makes up a little story about who is wearing the other one. Just like your lost earnings, so interesting.” She has a point, doesn’t she. You see lonely shoes in such strange places, like roundabouts and roadsides. How do they get there? Do people throw them out of cars?

Having written my column about St Anthony, I then dropped the back of one of a favourite pair of earrings on the bathroom floor. I heard it land and thought I would easily find it because it is only a small bathroom. I scoured the floor on my hands and knees, looked under all the obstacles, and found absolutely nothing. I was baffled and finally had to admit defeat and give up. In the intervening week, I vacuumed and mopped the floor, still not coming across it and assumed it was lost forever. Then yesterday, I saw it on the floor, right in the spot I thought it had first landed, not under or behind anything. Just there on the the open floor.

(Image: Sarah Walker)

Was St Anthony was having a laugh at my expense?

Do you have opinions, memories or ideas to share with me? Contact me via my webpage at countrymansdaughter.com, or email dst@nne.co.uk.