50-year-old receipt returned
When Linda and Bruce Kempthorne stopped in at the Winton Night ’n Day they had no idea they left behind a precious memory.
The pair have come forward as the owners of the 51-year-old receipt found at the Southland Night ‘n Day on April 6.
The pair were grateful to have the receipt returned to them, but they were shocked by the hype the lost receipt caused.
When Night ’n Day employee Sue Samson found the receipt she knew immediately that it was not rubbish.
Determined to find the owner and uncover the mystery of the receipt she contacted the community newspaper, The Eye, and called for the public’s help to locate the Kempthornes.
As many people had guessed, it was a receipt for a motel they visited during their honeymoon.
‘‘We kept it for sentimental purposes,’’ said Linda. The pair had been married for 51 years. ‘‘We met in Southland. Bruce was a shepherd and I was a Karitane nurse.’’
During their honeymoon the couple spent two weeks travelling around Kaikoura, Picton, Motueka, Murchison, West Port, Greymouth and Christchurch. ‘‘Motels were pretty new back then, everyone use to stay at hotels.’’
The pair travelled back to Motueka in recent years hoping to revisit the motel at 71 King Edward St, which they stayed at during their honeymoon but were unable to find it. ‘‘It was a shame.’’
Linda said the receipt, which lived in Bruce’s wallet, must have fallen out while they were paying for their coffee in Winton.
They were on their way home to Te Anau after judging at the Winton Dog Trails.
They hadn’t even noticed it was missing until they got a call from their son, who had read the article and suspected it was theirs.
The pair were reunited with the receipt during the Easter weekend, picking it up on the way to town.
And after all the trouble people went through to get it back to them, Linda decided to find a new home for it. ‘‘We keep it in the desk now, not Bruce’s wallet.’’
Night ’n Day employee Sue Samson said she felt like she had won the Lotto when the owner of the receipt was found.
‘‘You know, it felt like we did something really special.’’
"You know, it felt like we did something really special." Night n’ Day employee Sue Samson