Chivalry and the Chelsea Flower Show

We’re in London at the moment at the 100th Chelsea Flower Show and this post was going to be about the gardens and exhibits. However, that will have to wait because we’ve just had one of those unbelievable travel experiences and it has nothing to do with great hotels and amazing floral displays!

Today’s tale is about the people you meet when you travel and how those people can make or break a trip. My wife has titled this story – Chivalry and The Chelsea Flower Show.  

After an enjoyable morning of wandering through the exhibits and gardens that form the flower show, Catherine and I decided to head out and grab a bite to eat. We were sitting having lunch when Catherine received a text from our son who is currently residing in our house in Sydney, it says ‘Harry is waiting for Dad to call him.

Harry has Dad’s phone.’ Thinking my son had been duped by a scam of some kind, I go to get my phone (a new iPhone I have not yet mastered) out of the backpack – but it’s not there. I quickly call my phone number and someone called Harry answers.

Harry tells me he has my phone and he is waiting for us at Piccadilly Circus, underneath the big screen. Catherine and I leave lunch behind and race off to Piccadilly Circus whilst realising I have no idea what Harry looks like or how he got my phone. 

We work our way through the throngs of people headed for the big screen and looking for Harry…he could be Prince Harry for all we know! I get Catherine’s phone and start to dial my number when a young guy (not Prince Harry) approaches Catherine and asks if we are looking for Harry. Catherine looks warily at the young man and says yes, at which point he produces my phone, explaining he found it in the middle of Oxford Street. He dialed the number marked home and woke our sleeping son at 2am Sydney time, our son gave him our hotel number. He rang the hotel only to be told we weren’t staying there (we’d moved hotels). Harry then rang our son back, which is when we got the text, and all this time poor Harry was standing waiting for us at Piccadilly Circus.

I confess to him that I didn’t even know the phone was lost in the first place, thank him profusely and offer him some reward money. Harry refuses my offer of a reward, wishes us a good trip and leaves.

Catherine and I stood there for a moment, taking in what had happened. We can’t believe the phone got lost, that it didn’t get stolen, stepped on or run over – we can’t believe our luck that someone as honest as Harry found it.

Whilst I am sure we will enjoy the Chelsea Flower Show and the rest of our trip – for me I think the highlight will be honest Harry!