Simon Randles who 'borrowed' a gnome from a Gloucester garden and
took it on his round the world travels. Is shown here returning it to its
owners Eve and Derrick Stuart-Kelso
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Simon Randles, 22, a law graduate from Reading University, who is taking
a year out before joining the Royal Marines in February, shook hands and
spoke at length with Derrick Stuart-Kelso and his wife, Eve, who were
intrigued by his story.
“Thanks for coming round,” Mrs Stuart-Kelso told him. “It is a lovely
story and you have cheered me up on a miserable day.”
Mr Randles, who lives in Gloucester, and travelled alone with the gnome,
said the idea of taking a gnome had come up in discussion with friends
at university. “It is incredibly hard to find a gnome,” he said. “I was
on a bus and saw this gnome in the garden. I think it was fate. I
mentally tagged it and went back the night before I left and liberated
it sometime before midnight.
”I felt a degree of guilt as it could have been a treasured heirloom. It
is not something I am proud of. I produced the album because I felt I
owed it my best. I wanted them to have the best photographs.
”The gnome was a great icebreaker on the trip. It made friends with a
lot of people. It was difficult getting it through customs. Every time
it appeared on the scanner they demanded to see it.”
Mrs Stuart-Kelso said did not want any police involvement “but I have
warned Simon not to do it again.” Mr Randles replied: “I have taken it
on board.”
The gnome had been mysteriously returned after seven months - together
with a photo album showing he has been on a world-wide tour.
In an episode that re-creates a scene from the French film Amelie,
Murphy was returned to Eve Stuart-Kelso with a letter saying he had
taken off because he had "itchy feet".
In the 2001 film, starring Audrey Tautou, Amelie steals her father's
gnome and gives it to a friend who takes it around the world and posts
back pictures of it in famous places to show him what he is missing in
life.
Besides Murphy was a Tesco carrier bag containing the album of 48 photos
and stamped immigration permits to South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique,
New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China,
Hong Kong and Laos.
The album showed Murphy - who weighs a hefty 8lb (3.6kg) - abseiling
down a mountain, standing in a shark's mouth, swimming in the sea, and
riding a motorbike.
Murphy took to his travels with a companion only referred to as "The
Bear" - although some of the photos picture a group of young men who
might have been responsible.
The accompanying letter explained his disappearance: "There's more to
life than watching daily commuter traffic and allowing passing cats to
urinate on you."
Mrs Stuart-Kelvo, who once ran a motel in Florida with her husband, said
it was "such a shock" to see Murphy returned to the front garden of her
Gloucester home.
She said: "The leprechaun went missing many, many months ago and I had
forgotten about it.
"Then I opened the door on Thursday and saw he was back. It was such a
shock.
"I thought, 'Well, it's a bit of mischief but at least he hasn't been
put through the window.'
"Murphy was quite badly damaged and there was a tightly wrapped parcel
next to him. My curiosity eventually overcame my alarm, because I did
wonder if it might explode.
"Then I saw it was a beautifully bound photo album and opened it up.
"His feet were missing, but that's no real surprise given that he was
sent abseiling down a mountain!"
She added: "It was the strangest gift I have ever received. I just keep
thinking how funny it is. It makes me smile to see all the people he met
on his travels. It was a wonderful surprise."
Murphy's letter read: "Hello! First of all I feel I should explain my
prolonged absence. A gnome's life is full of time for reflection, and
whilst surveying your garden one summer morning, I began to get itchy
feet.
"I came to the conclusion that the world is a big place and there is
more to life than watching the daily commuter traffic, and allowing
passing cats to urinate on you.
"So I decided to free myself from the doldrums of the Shire and seek
adventure. My travels have taken me across three continents, 12
countries and more time zones than I can possibly remember.
"There have been high points, low points, and positively terrifying
points. But I have survived - small thanks to the companion with whom I
have shared all these moments."
The letter also revealed that Murphy - whom his captor called Barrington
- met former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott on his outbound trip to
Cape Town.
"Said hello to the big man and he seemed a decent enough bloke but
unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me," he wrote.
A spokesman for Gloucestershire Constabulary remained straight-faced
about the matter, saying: "Any theft of a person's property, even if it
is carried out as a joke, will be treated as a crime by police."
Telegraph
By Stephen Adams and Richard Savill
12 Aug 2008