I assumed it must have been the men erecting the fences on the perimeter of our neighbour’s property, as they would have the correct tools, including bolt cutters, for cutting through the bars.

I could not see anything missing as the microwave was still on top of old Leonard, the two kettles and the new urn were still in their usual places.  The crockery had been pushed around in the cupboards and tea towels scattered around the floor.  I cleaned up the kitchen and went upstairs.  First to the Owl room, where they had emptied the two boxes of books all over the floor so I put these back and pushed the boxes under the bed.  The honeymoon suite was next, where they had cut the lock on the one cupboard and everything was strewn over the floor.

As I did not have my cell phone with me, I could not contact anybody in order to get a new pane of glass for the window or for someone to bring with them welding equipment for the bars.  

As a matter of interest, whilst Jim and Frances were out hiking on the Sunday, they discovered some silver balls from a game, which had been taken from Hikers Haven and just left in the veldt. This was all we discovered that was missing!!!  A decision was made on Sunday to take as much of the contents from Hikers Haven away so that if the burglars did come back there would be very little there to be taken.  Once the fences are completely erected, everything will be returned to Hikers Haven.

Bob Greenwood