Date:	Thu, 31 Aug 1995 06:06:52 -1000
From:	John F Catherwood <jcatherwood@clio.arts.qub.ac.uk>
Message-Id: <1995Aug31.160652.3219@queens-belfast.ac.uk>
Organization: Queens University, Belfast
Subject: Stolen Kites In Ireland

This is a cry for help, although sympathy is also welcome.

My wife and I had our car stolen from the Castle Court carpark in 
Belfast, Northern Ireland on Monday 28th August 1995.  The car has since 
been found (burnt out, thank you joyriders of West Belfast) but all of 
our gear had gone.  Apart from the usual couple of hundred quids worth of 
lines and tails and straps and handles, sleeving tools, spare 
carbon and ripstop tape(count up how much you have spent on spectra and 
dyneema - it might surprise you) the Kites were:
2x Flexifoil Scorpions, 1 month old, one purple pink and blue, one purple 
pink and yellow, 1 fairly beaten up Backtracker, a 6 foot pink Flexi, a 
Powerhouse Blade, (pink again) two Powerhouse Dynamos, one blue, one pink 
and yellow, and a brand new, only flown once, pink and purple Sprinter 
(soft 4 foot kite made by Inflight).  There was also a star shaped 
multicell box kite, make unknown, about 4 foot across, in red yellow blue 
and white, a couple of old Peter Powells, some brooks stunters and boxes, 
and three blue Baby Swallows.  Since there are only about a dozen 
Scorpions in the whole of Northern Ireland they should be pretty 
noticeable. Could anyone who sees any kite for sale, or even a scorpion 
in flight, please drop us a line?  

Having saved up for six months to buy them (I'm a post grad student at 
Queen's University Belfast) we are a bit gutted about the whole thing. 
However, we will, as usual be at the Commons at Donaghadee, or the beach 
at Millisle, on Sunday, if anyone out there wants to come and join us 
(and lend us a kite!)

John and Lisa Catherwood





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Date:	Sun, 3 Sep 1995 11:52:11 -1000
From:	Mark de Roussier <mark@murder.demon.co.uk>
Message-Id: <810190331snx@murder.demon.co.uk>
Organization: damage
Subject: Re: Stolen Kites In Ireland

In article <1995Aug31.160652.3219@queens-belfast.ac.uk> John F Catherwood <jcatherwood@clio.arts.qub.ac.uk> writes:
> This is a cry for help, although sympathy is also welcome.
>

Hokay, you got the sympathy :). 

Having had my kite bag stolen from my car twice, I can appreciate the 
feelings involved. I am now extremely careful never to leave them in the
car for more than a few minutes. If I go somewhere, and the kites are in
the car, they go with me. I've checked a kite bag into the cloakroom at
the Royal Festival Hall rather than leave it in the car in the underground 
carpark !. And if you like being stared at, walk up to the bar in a strange
pub with a kite bag on your shoulder ! All my stunt kites now have my name 
and postcode on them in at least two places, one visible, one not so visible.
I even think manufacturers should be encouraged to put serial numbers on 
their kites - I think a number already do.

However, I must admit that at the end of the day I escaped lightly both times
my kites were taken - they were dumped nearby on both occasions, and found by
locals, although I had to go the extent of putting an ad in a local newsagent
the second time round. The problem is that to the untrained eye, kite gear
can look alot like fishing gear, for which there is a massive market. I even
use a fishing -  style tackle box for the bits and pieces that don't fit in
the kite bag(s).

I agree with you about the way the bits and pieces can mean you have more to
loose than you might think - my tackle box and lines are probably worth a 
couple of top - rank stunters.
 
Anyway, best of luck on the kite recovery front...


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Date:	Sat, 9 Sep 1995 02:19:01 -1000
From:	Jon_Pierce@msn.com (Jon Pierce)
Message-Id: <00001f81+00000f0e@msn.com>
Organization: The Microsoft Network (MSN)
Subject: RE: Stolen Kites In Ireland

I can't help you with your kites but can send my sympathy. 


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