Between April 2020 and March 2021, 114,000 items were handed into TfL's lost property.
They included everything from 90's-era mobiles to urns full of ashes. trib.al/KP6ePX8
They included everything from 90's-era mobiles to urns full of ashes. trib.al/KP6ePX8
Among those 114,000 lost items, there were also:
📱 15,615 mobile phones
🔑 5,636 sets of keys
👓 6,265 pairs of glasses
@Specsavers would not be impressed...
📱 15,615 mobile phones
🔑 5,636 sets of keys
👓 6,265 pairs of glasses
@Specsavers would not be impressed...
All of the items are either found by TfL staff or handed in by members of the public, before making their way to the Lost Property Office, which has been looking after TfL’s lost property since 1933. 
They are held at the office - currently based in Kensington - for three months from the date they’re handed in.
Almost 20% of items handed in to the office in the last year were returned to their rightful owners.
Not bad during a pandemic.
Almost 20% of items handed in to the office in the last year were returned to their rightful owners.
Not bad during a pandemic.
TfL’s performance manager Paul Cowen has looked after the LPO for almost 10 years.
And says that the ‘Alladin’s Cave’ of items ‘has kind of sense of awe and wonder’ to it.
And says that the ‘Alladin’s Cave’ of items ‘has kind of sense of awe and wonder’ to it.
The LPO doesn’t archive items but Cowen says it does reflect Londoners’ changing habits.
‘Take the mobile phone,’ he said. ‘We’ve still got the original yuppie phones, a couple of the Motorola bricks from the late 90s. These things literally did weigh five kg.’
‘Take the mobile phone,’ he said. ‘We’ve still got the original yuppie phones, a couple of the Motorola bricks from the late 90s. These things literally did weigh five kg.’
📖➡️📱 'We’ve also seen the reduction of things like physical books, whereas we still have Kindles come through.’
He also notes an interesting change in clothing trends:
‘There is now likely to be many more versions of the same clothing item in our stock, whereas previously items might have been much, much more unique.’
‘There is now likely to be many more versions of the same clothing item in our stock, whereas previously items might have been much, much more unique.’
Among the usual suspects of items found at the LPO are umbrellas, documents, pairs of glasses and mobiles – but you’ll also discover urns full of ashes and even a double mattress. 🛏️🧐
So what’s the weirdest thing the LPO has seen?
Cowen says it’s easier to talk about what they haven’t had in: ‘If you can carry it on public transport, you can lose it.’
‘One of the things we haven’t had is a bowling ball…that’s not an open invitation.’
Cowen says it’s easier to talk about what they haven’t had in: ‘If you can carry it on public transport, you can lose it.’
‘One of the things we haven’t had is a bowling ball…that’s not an open invitation.’
Like many aspects of society, the LPO hasn’t escaped the impact of the pandemic either 😷↔️😷
Cowen says that when social distancing came into force, lost property went up – something he puts down to people spreading out more and taking different routines
metro.co.uk/2021/12/27/ins…
Cowen says that when social distancing came into force, lost property went up – something he puts down to people spreading out more and taking different routines
metro.co.uk/2021/12/27/ins…
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