Where will you retire? When?

Retirement In The USA

I am from the UK and have lived in the USA. In the USA, Florida was, and still is, the major retirement area. What of Venezuela and other retreats? You need safety, and a friendship network. Some people advise you to move to your retirement area a decade before retirement, so that you have a network of friends, and speak the local language, and feel at ease. 

Retirement In Europe

After my father retired in the UK, my parents lived in Spain in the winter, which was cold in London, but light, bright, and warmer in Spain, in a one bedroom flat in a condo in Marbella. Spain was a place where your retirement income stretched further.

UK

In the UK an influence was in which countries your UK pension allowed your pension to be index linked.

Retirement In Asia

 I retired in the UK at the age of 60. My husband worked in Singapore for 20 years so we are semi-retired here, especially in the winter months. We now have to consider how long we can cope with 14 hour flights back to the UK to see our grand-daughter. Or will the family be prepared to travel once a year or regularly to meet us? What about travel insurance, and medical bills, and access to hospitals?

Cashew Heights condo in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

But the UK retiremnt age has changed. As the world population gets older because of better health, the same is happening in other parts of the world.

You can easily find out a summary of previous and current retirment ages all around the world. At SGI toastmasters meeting our theme was retirement.

What benefits do you gain in the UK on retirement? I get a state pension, a heating allowance in January, free travel in London (and my friends who are resident in Yorkshire get reduced travel there), free prescriptions for long term conditions, but not for one off illnesses. Free hearing tests. Free sight tests. Free hospital stays. Free hospital consultations if I can get a doctor's letter, but there is a long waiting list. Free library service, run by volunteers. Free ambulance service in an emergency. 

Languages

It helps to retire somewhere you can speak the language, or learn it quickly. If you speak English, countries which would be easiest would be the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.

If you speak French, France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium.

Useful Websites

UK

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age

Singapore

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/908080/experts-hail-extension-retirement-age-65

Belize

https://www.socialsecurity.org.bz/long-term-retirement-benefit/

Worldwide

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_age

https://internationalliving.com/the-best-places-to-retire/

LANGUAGES IN THE USA

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12471713/map-common-lanuages-america.html

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My Favourite Sites and Sights in Spain and its islands

Flag of Spain

Spain and Portugal
We drove down through France and Portugal to Marbella in Spain. In our car we had a sink and taps from Wickes DIY shop for my late parents' flat in Marbella. On the way we stayed overnight in the pousadas of Portugal and the paradores of Spain, historic hotels rebuilt, restored from ruins, to create attractions for tourists to hop around the previously neglected regions.

My memories of Spain:
Spanish:
Madrid
Madrid art gallery: El Prado
A statue of painter Velazquez greets you on arrival. Then you see his paintings.

Las Meninas by Velazquez, Madrid, Spain.

This striking picture shows the proud child, her head turned slightly sideways as if ignoring yet observing the painter, is dominating the adults, almost all eyes on her, whilst she stands central, whilst the artist is reflected in what appears to be a doorway or mirror observes, but he is behind her, maybe her parents are in the mirror, another figure in the doorway. All trompe l'oeuil. Artist in mirror paintings were popular. Rather like film horror and suspense film director Hitchcock hiding yet wanting to appear as a side figure in all his films, challenging the viewer to find him.

Spain -Summary or wishlist
Madrid, the capital city: art gallery, The Prado.
Two of the most visited sites are:
Royal Palace of Madrid and El Escorial.
Statues - war monument, Valley of The Fallen.
Miro by sculptor Botero.

Barcelona: Basilica La Sagrada Familia Cathedral by architect Antoni Gaudi
The city with the promenade of Las Ramblas. Where you ramble.

The architecture of Antoni Gaudi.

English: Close-up of Casa Batlló, Barcelona
Source	Own work
Author	Anonymous

Antoni Gaudi. First the cathedral. Then also see other unusual buildings with curves and statues.

You can do the hop on hop off bus tours. You can buy a two day pass and do it once in English and once in Spanish.

Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum.

Seville
Alhambra house and gardens.

Spain - Costa Del Sol
 It is the sunny coast in the south). I recall the contrast of Marbella's five, four and three star hotels (my parents had a flt on the seafront) with Butlins in Torremolinos. (I wrote about Butlins for Parents magazine); Puerto Banus, a tiny port with big boats.
Along the coast is Gibraltar, where they speak Spanish as well as English.

Spanish speaking Island of Majorca
A British favourite. Cheap and nearby.
Caves of Drach in Majorca.

Spanish Paradors
Wonderful cool paradors in Segovia with Jewish quarter view of Roman aqueduct from near the city, and from the hotel dining room; Avila, Toledo, and Jerez de la Frontera and several more.

Statue of Maimonides in Cordoba, Spain.

Maimonides went on the run from one set of Moslems, hopped from country to country and found refuge with another group. Became physician to the rulers. He was famous for saying that he would rather release 1000 guilty men than execute one innocent person. He wrote in Arabic and was and is revered by both Moslems and Jews.
Also see the former Jewish sites and Cordoba mosque cum church.And a Jewish Museum.

Rioja wineries.
Wineries together in a grand circle around the old former railway station: Lopez de Heredia, Muga winery shop and tours; Contino remote winery by appointment.


Marqués de Riscal Vineyard Hotel From Wikipedia.

Drive out to the
Marqués de Riscal Vineyard Hotel,which  is a luxury hotel located in Elciego, Spain. The hotel was designed by Frank Gehry. Everything is odd. The shape.

Inside, equally odd. Strange lifts and staircases and doors. Instead of room numbers we had our room number written in chalk on a slate board.

Bedrooms are odd. No room has straight walls. Everything from beds to chairs is curved and strange.  Bath in the middle of the room with a curtain like a hospital cubicle.

Food in restaurant served from a strange shaped trolley. Tables odd shapes. Napkins odd shapes. Napkin holders odd shapes. Lighting fittings odd shapes. Toilet doors odd shapes.
sbury.blogspot.com/2017/03/madeira-madeira-wine-portugal-and.html

Spain's Camino De Santiago
No car? Try walking. The Pilgrims' Way has easy and difficult sections, marked by souvenir shell pictures which you collect. The entire route within Spain may take longer than your holiday allowance. Some people do it over two holidays or two or more years, filling in their passport for the sections until they reach the end of the trail at the cathedral. Santiago, is Saint Iago or Saint James.

The route ends at the
 Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The cathedral contains the saint's relics and is adorned with many statues and is shown on Spanish coins. Other parts of the pilgrims' way are in France and Portugal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago

The cathedral at the end of your many days of walking. Spain.

Spanish Landmarks To Visit
https://www.visitacity.com/en/barcelona
Mallorca - Caves of Drach

SPAIN
Paradors (Hotels in historic buildings with local cuisine)
https://paradoresofspain.com/

Spanish Tourist Board
https://www.spain.info/en_GB/informacion-practica/oficinas-turismo-embajadas/turismo-exterior/oficina_de_turismo_en_londres.html
https://spainguides.com/spain-travel-guide/tourism-offices-spain/
https://wikitravel.org/en/Balearic_Islands (Sparse but could be handy.)

Paradors (Hotels in historic buildings with local cuisine)
https://www.touropia.com/best-places-to-visit-in-mallorca/


MEXICO
Mexican Tourist Board
https://www.visitmexico.com/en/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancun
Tequila has tequila distillery tours.

USA
Notice the Spanish names of the cities Los Angeles, San Francisco and El Paso (the pass).

UK -
Tapas bars and Spanish restaurants.
LIVING IN SPAIN
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain


Duolingo
duolingo.com


Memrise
Memrise.com


About The Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, blogger, author of 20 books including an ebook on Improve Your English, from Amazon, and teacher of English and Business English and other languages to individuals, colleges and companies. For more information on learning Spanish and other languages see previous post and posts. Also see other articles such as Botero statues in Colombia. Please bookmark your favourite posts and share the links with your family, friends and colleagues.

A man astride a donkey at Mijas, mountainside village with miniatures and a beach, Andalucia, Costa Del Sol, Spain

Spanish flag

A friend on Facebook sent out a picture of himself astride the bronze statue of a donkey at Mijas, outside the visitor information centre.

My family used to have a flat along the coast in Marbella, the winter refuge of retired Brits who liked Sunny Spain. Costa del Sol means coast of the sun.

Isn't Spanish easy! You and I already know three words of Spanish, coast, sun and of, not to mention sombrero, the wide-brimmed hat, and amigo, friend. Add Los Angeles, the angels. Si is yes. Gracias is thank you. Adios is goodbye. That is ten words already.

Attractions on the Costa Del Sol
1 Marbella
Beaches.
Restaurants in the hillside old town.
Assorted smart hotels and beachfront apartments.
Promenade with showers and statues.
Picasso Museum.

2 Puerto Banus
Walk around the enclosed marina admiring the opulent yachts. Or admire from a distance.

3 Gibraltar
See the old town below. Go up to the hilltop Rock hotel for a drink, a meal, a stay. See the legendary animals (hold onto your hat and camera)!

Fuengirola
Town with beaches and shops including El Corte Ingles.

4 Mijas, the mountainside village of white-washed houses
Photo astride the statue of the donkey.
A real donkey tuk-tuk ride.

Photo from Pixabay.

Museum of miniatures, on a head of rice, teeny prayer, a dressed flea, and so on. Lots of reviews on Tripadvisor.
A local history museum.
Art museum with Picasso pottery.
Assorted churches.
Boveda del Flamenco. Bar in former gaol.

5 Malaga
The big city with the department store, named El Corte Engles, English corner.

Last but not least:
5 Torremolinos. The windmills (molinos) are still secreted somewhere there, hidden amongst the hotels and skyscrapers.

Spanish Language
Want to learn Spanish, or brush up, amigos? (Spanish for Friends.) Si?

See my other posts on languages.

Useful Websites
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g580271-d3973244-r336308980-Museo_de_Miniaturas_Carromato_de_Mijas-Mijas_Costa_del_Sol_Province_of_Malaga_An.html
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mijas
http://www.marbellagoldenmile.com/marbella-travel-guide/see-do/walk-the-golden-mile/

Author
Travel writer and photographer, Angela Lansbury. 

Update on Dax Festival With Bull Fighting, Food, Free Concerts

Map from
http://freecountrymaps.com/map/towns/france/26691402/

Problems
1 What happens at the Dax festival?
2 What about the bull fight? Would I enjoy Dax, Bayonne and Biarritz even if I don't want to attend a bull fight?

Answers
1 MUSIC, SINGING AND DANCE
Yes, it's like a whole town costume party with everybody dressed in red and white. Bands come from all over Europe. There's singing, dancing and parades in the street. Finishing with fireworks.

2 BULL FIGHTING
It's worthwhile reading a researching about bull fighting. I now know the difference between a picador and a matador and a toreador. If I am indifferent to bull fights, or against bull fighting, or fearful and don't like blood, it's good to know about them without the travel, financial cost and guilt of actually attending.

I haven't attended a bull fight recently (not since I was taken as a teenager on a trip to Spain years ago). But I have just watched several videos and close up photos.

Research
I have spent several hours talking to and interviewing my nearest and dearest about Dax and bull fighting and music. I checked up on the internet on the technicalities. By the time I plan my next trip I shall have forgotten. So I need this post for my own records. What is useful to me, could also be useful to you.

Whilst watching the videos I tried to identify the music played during the opening ceremony for the bullfight from an ap on my phone. No luck. Next research will be the national anthems, popular songs, songs played at bull fights*, checking the music credits, if any, on the souvenir programme, plus national flags flown above the bull ring.

Memory Corner
My late parents had a flat in Marbella in Spain.  We once drove across France literally with a kitchen sink from Wickes for them. We also drove to Portugal, staying at French chateaux hotel, Spanish Paradores, and Portuguese Pousadas.

How To Get To Biarritz, Bayonne and Dax
On previous trips we have driven many times through France to Spain.

Driving through France, we stopped to see Biarritz. We clearly remember a stay a night at the Palace hotel. (When we were all in full time employment. Those were the days!)

On this trip the route was budget Ryan Air to Biarritz, then picked up by car from a British friend who lives in the area.

The Dax festival season is also British and French school holidays, so the Hotels in Dax are booked up and high prices, like 200 Euros for a bedroom. You can stay in a gîte or guest house out in the countryside if you have a car.

Fly on a cheap airline to Biarritz, a chic little place with a casino and grand Palace hotel.

Alternatively, as part of a grand tour starting at Paris, take the train to Dax and Bayonne.

What's in Bayonne? It is a city with a grand cathedral and with hotels, about an hour away. You will find it useful to have a car.

Getting Around Dax
Within Dax you have a shuttle bus known in French as a navette (think of the English word navigate). It may be about a Euro. Where do you get the ticket - on the bus or before? "I don't know. I walked!" The walk from the car park to the Arena with the bull fight takes about ten minutes.

Tips
To identify music from a holiday video:
Ap: Sound Hound

*See later post on the festival music.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have more posts on the sights and sounds in Dax. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Twelfth Night - Which Night

I've been puzzling over Twelfth Night. When I counted from Christmas eve, Dec 24th, I ended up on Jan 4th. Counting from Christmas Day, Dec 25th, you end up on Jan 5th, last night.

Three Kings Parades, in Spain
On Facebook I saw a picture of the Three Kings parade in Arrecife. Where is Arrecife? In the Canary Islands, a region which is part of Spain.

I recall staying with my parents in Marbella, Spain. We consulted the local English language papers such as Sur, which is a current newspaper in Spain, and local shopkeepers, and learned about a parade at a village along the coast towards Gibraltar and drove there to see it.

I previously consulted Wikipedia and found some countries have a parade on the evening of the 5th, others celebrate more on the 6th.

I'm off to remove my Xmas decorations. They are now in the way as I am back to work. Holiday over - but glad those who are still on holiday have had entertainment.

Angela Lansbury

Colour co-ordinating for travelling light

Colour Co-ordinating
When travelling, you have to plan to colour co-ordinate. Where do you keep all your colour-co-ordinated outfits?

Travel Trunks
Years ago, as museums and auctions show, travellers had giant suitcases or trunks, in heavy, sturdy wood covered in leather, which held and organised enough for the three months. That was how long it took you, before plane travel, to cruise on a ship overseas, then go overland.

Your trunk opened up like a giant book, with two hinged sections. Inside it resembled a mini-wardrobe, with hanging clothes one side and a mix of wide mouth shape drawers on the other side.

Above or below the drawers were half size or pigeon hole cubed compartments for jewellery and accessories. You carried separate locked jewellery boxes and hat boxes for giant hats. Opened, the suitcase looked like modern folding bars, which hide alcoholic drinks in daytime.

This system worked well for the rich and famous, who paid porters at every stop. I look with admiration and envy at the trunks of famous people, such as the dancer Pavlova, who travelled from North London to Australia and New Zealand.

Naturally her dancing and day time shoes mattered. So did her appearance before an admiring public, being photographed in newspapers. She had accessories for every outfit in matching fabrics, colours and styles.

Size Matters
My first trip to a tent weekend left me with aching shoulders from a heavy backpack, so exhausted I have never wanted to try camping or hiking again.

Later, I recall travelling with a suitcase which my mother had packed, so heavy that I was in pain, left behind at train stations, so slow I often lost my group and panicked. arriving at the destination exhausted, miserable and (at certain periods of the month) often tearful.

Complete Contents
What about the contents? I cringe with embarrassment when I recall travelling with a suitcase which I packed.

MisMatch Colour Trauma
My own first efforts at packing were traumatic. I tried to take some of each pretty colour, red, pink, orange, throwing in favourite or newly bought separates. I hat separates. That was how I looked. As if the other half of my outfit had got separated. I had red trousers with pink tops, and orange nail varnish. To complete the disaster, I had a blue bag and green shoes. Dressing for the morning or evening took forever.

Ten years later I discovered lists, in the age of lists, the packing list. I even wrote a travel book with a packing list at the back. One of my first books. Enquire Within series. To this day I get out my old book and adapt the packing list.

Dictionary. Two purses for money at home for taxi and at destination for taxi. Nail varnish. - and nail varnish remover. Nowadays nail varnish remover pads won't spill, which weigh less and won't be confiscated at security. Warm gloves. Hat or cap with visor.

Colour Co-ordinating
When I became a travel writer I simplified everything. Black skirts, jacket and trousers and bag and shoes. White blouses (one for each day or evening, maximum seven.  After that you probably had at least two days at one place where a blouse had time to wash and dry.

Smart white blouse for a quick change for evening. Folding gold or silver scarf in handbag in case we are told no time to go back to the hotel to change before dinner.

Space for Souvenirs
My other handy trick was to pack gifts inside a second bag in my main suitcase. Gifts go to hosts. Space is left for gifts to people back home or your souvenirs. The bag saves you constantly buying a new bag to carry gifts. Removing the bag leaves more space for souvenirs or literature.

Shopping At Destination
If you are in one place you have time to shop for local clothes. If on the move, you don't. If you are a large Western size, you may find items your curvy or voluminous size in India, and Australia and New Zealand. (But even slim and skinny girls from the USA and New Zealand find small size swimsuits in Asia don't fit if they are made with shorter bodies to suit shorter girls.)

On a conference you may not have time for changing clothes. One event follows another. What can you do?

Weekender (Canadian travel clothes firm which reached the UK) used to make, and still do, accessories in black or gold and silver, to hoist up one side or both of a skirt or dress to make it more revealing and glamorous for the evening. Basically, you have a doughnut shape and pull the fabric through the middle.

The little black dress looks wrong in tropical countries with exotic flowers, fuchsia and magenta orchids, bright blue seas and skies, bright green vegetation. Black is worn by widows. Youngsters wear bright colours.

Colourful Singapore
When I was a teacher of English as a foreign language in Singapore the head of the language school told me the pupils had complained that I wore black and white every day, which was boring and depressing. The head of the school asked me to wear a different bright colour every day, such as red on Monday, orange on Tuesday, pink on Wednesday, green on Thursday, blue on Friday.

Expanding, Organising Bags
The last time I lost a bag was when the handle of my bag was slashed in Marbella, Spain. The thieves crashed the stolen car and ran, so I got my bag back. Long ago.

For the first time in decades of travel, hundreds of trips, for the first time in low crime Singapore, I 'lost' a bag.

I originally bought my bag, messenger style, a small should bag with a long strap, from Scotts of Stow. The one I 'lost' or had stolen this year, 2015, in Singapore, was burgundy. I searched for a replacement on the internet and the bag is still available, but only coloured stone (off-white) or black.

Simplified Colours
This basic choice of colours may suit you. One of each colour should carry you through winter and summer, or day and night, without clashing with any other colours. Black and white is great for bags which co-ordinate with all your winter black or winter white, or daytime white and evening black, or white at night if you want to be visible to motorists when crossing the road.

However, if you tire easily and are lifted by red, or already have a bright red bag or two, and want a more refined plummy colour, alas, no burgundy, yet. I'm still hunting rival bags. (And if you see my burgundy bag on anybody, ask them where it came from. If it's thrown in a corner in Singapore - it's mine, please rescue it. If you get it back to me I'll love you forever.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any topic you would like me to research, let me know. Please follow my blog on travel, read my other blog posts, look at my spelling tips, grammar tips, performing comic poetry on Youtube, like me on Facebook, and link to me on LinkedIn and buy my latest books on quotations from Lulu.com .

Lost and found in the USA, UK, Singapore and worldwide

Lost and Found
I was thinking it was time somebody set up nationwide and worldwide lost and found websites. You need one centralised place to report losses. In Singapore We had to go to the terminus of two different bus lines, a police station, the UK passport office, and the NRIC office.

(I was thinking we need a lost and found site like Tell Us Once. What's that? In the UK in the old days after somebody died if you were the spouse or descendant or lawyer / executor you spent months writing to different government bodies. The death certificate needed for funeral plans took priority, so the pension would continue to be paid and had to be paid back. Hours of work, week, months, for the family, and masses of extra paperwork and muddle for the government offices. Now a wonderful website called Tell Us Once informs all government bodies simultaneously.)

Lost and Found in the USA
I went hunting on the internet and immediately up pops a site for lost and found in the USA. The alliterative subtitle is For property and pets. Such a great idea. The website connection is lost but I love the idea.

Finders Keepers
But maybe a 'lost' item was not stolen but just lost. How many items get lost?

Taxi Lost and Found
A sign in the Singapore taxi warns that fifty per cent of items left in taxis are either wallets or phones. Sometimes a recorded voice tells you to check you have left nothing behind. What more can they do? I think the driver should have a camera on the back which enables him to check.

Taxi Drivers Could Help
Every driver should give a receipt automatically, not just ask whether you want one. Driver should announce his name and the taxi company. For example, "My name is Mr Lim. Thank you for booking GrabTaxi." "Hope you had a good journey in grab taxi. Check you left nothing behind? Nothing on seat, in the pocket? Keep the receipt. If you lose anything, call GrabTaxi and tell them you were in Mr Lim's taxi. Have a great visit."

Receipts Identify Your Taxi
I always ask for a receipt from the taxi. That way if anything ever goes missing you know which taxi and which service. There could be five or more taxi companies and hundreds of taxis.

Finders Keepers
An old saying suggests Finders Keepers. Not so. British courts have set precedents proving otherwise. To give a couple of examples, somebody who had money moved into their bank account in error had to repay it. Treasure from Roman or earlier times has been deemed crown or national property. I shall search and research this and update this post or add another later with details.

In the UK it used to be the case that if you took something to a police station and it was not claimed after three months the finder could keep it. However, you were still expected to return the item.

Accepting Loss - How Soon?
How long should you wait before accepting something is lost? Eventually something might turn up?

Common sites for losses.

Accepting Loss
Some people take the attitude, wave goodbye to what's gone and move on. In Singapore a well-known expat family lost a son who committed suicide. (He had suffered from a slight handicap and was bright and successful and personable yet had been bullied.)

Persistence Pays
On the other hand, a famous quotation - Winston Churchill said, Never, never, never give up.

Lost children - like Madeleine McCann. Lost pets - occasionally turn up miles from home and are reunited.

On Transport
Have your property packed up ready to go when a bus arrives or you reach your stop.

When Should You Give Up?
After you have done all you can. In Singapore I went to the two terminus points at the end of the bus looking for my lost wine red bag containing my passport, NRIC and two phones, my iPhone in a purple 'clam. cover, the Singapore phone in a Cappucino cover.

Staying at one address is a great help. Every time you change address it becomes harder for the finder to return your property.

Losses
My handbag cut in Marbella. Stolen car drew up alongside. Thief cut the handle of my bag. Driver veered around corner and crashed. Car occupants ran. Driver disappeared. My bag was found cut plus Swiss knife - which only later did I realised had been used to cut the handles.

Successful Lost item Found
I lost a valued glove when out looking for a place to live. A week later I retraced my steps. A kind person had stuck the glove upright on top of a post, easily seen.

They never knew I found it, only that somebody had removed it. A belated thank you years later from me - I should have left a thank you note.

In the old days in the UK you could take lost property straight to the local police station. Unfortunately police stations have closed down and centralised. You have to travel a half hour round trip.

Singapore
In Singapore, reporting a loss at the police station, my relative told me the police did not even want to make a report on my 'lost' bag - only if it was stolen. Immediately after it disappeared, we assumed I had somehow dropped it or left it behind on the bus. But since my trace has been found, we now assume it was stolen.

Scotland
At Edinburgh, when visiting the Edinburgh Festival, we lost a camera outside a book fair. Later in the day we went back to the book fair. I went to the desk to ask if anybody had handed in the camera. Sure enough, there it was.

Cost of Loss
What is the cost of loss? You probably underestimate the cost of replacement of goods. Even a new lipstick can cost £20. Replacement passports, NRIC identity cards in Singapore, cost a lot of money.

NRIC
A property agent was asked by a security guard to leave his NRIC. He refused and instead handed over his business card as proof of identity. If you lose your NRIC, the cost of replacing it a second time increases.

Summary:
Losses:
People - children such as Madelien McCann - ongoing search. Hopefully the search for her can have three good outcomes for children, parents and people worldwide a)

Success:
1 Lost and Found website USA.
2 Colleague's empty wallet containing our borrowed library card found in attic of AGB office building, years after wallet went missing. The wallet was taken from a jacket on a chair back in building which you could enter only with an employee or guest pass. (So we now presume the wallet was stolen not by a member of staff but by a contract worker who had access to the roof space.)
3 Empty (and handle cut) shoulder bag retrieved in Marbella, Spain, when we reported loss to police station.
4 Glove found on post a week later in UK.
5 Member of Toastmasters Singapore told me he lost a wallet but within an hour an honest Singaporean had returned it to him.

Action On Lost and Found
National website for lost and found in each country. it could give you the locations of lost and found offices, how to mark and safeguard your property, where to report lost credit cards, give you a record sheet you could fill in with the brand of your handbag, the serial number of your phone, the phone numbers for your credit card companies, your office or relative to be contacted for return of items.

(You don't leave your house, leaving it empty, to collect missing doorways, or burglars could use the keys to get in your house while sending you miles away, or even around the corner). Suggestion - send somebody with your identity and/or do a visual call to identify both parties and the lost item and location in public place with witness for the handover.

Who Retrieve Useless Items
What use is an old passport, now I have a new travel document? It has a record of all my travels, including the time and date of every entry and exit. I keep my old passports. (And those of my ancestors.) I trust that one day somehow the items will be returned to me.

Adrenalin and Chase Syndrome
It is psychological closure. The human brain goes into what I shall call Seek Lost Item mode. You get a rush of adrenalin, anxiety, gear up for physical chase.

(Not just a caveman era Idea. This really happens. And is still relevant and needed. We had two physical chases after lost/stolen property. In Marbella years ago my husband chased after the stolen car whose occupants had stolen my handbag.

In Singapore my husband chased after the bus after I got off and realised my bag was missing. First he chased the bus which stopped at the lights. When the lights changed and the bus sped away, still agitated, he rapped on the window of the nearest car and persuaded the driver to chase the bus. (Thank you Zak.)

Reward
A friend suggested I should offer a reward. So I offer a reward. £20 or Singapore$20 for each of the five missing items, the bag, the iPhone and cover, the Singtel phone and cover, the British passport, the NRIC card. Total £100 or Singapore dollars 200 for the whole bag and contents.

As for me, I wil forever want the return of my lost (acronym for lost or stolen) wine red multi-zip messenger cross-body messenger bag and all the contents, my iPhone with the purple flip wallet, also called a 'clam' cover - means it is like a book with a crease down the long direction so it opens up and stands up horizontally with two slits for cards opposite the phone.
My Singtel phone a Sony Ericsson with a brown cover, a thick, back only, imitation cappuccino cup cover. Also my British passport surname Sharot and NRIC.  The items could be discarded by the thief or finder.

STILL WANTED
I have been scanning every person I see on the bus worldwide - could they have found or been given my items, and not knowingly be in possession of them, not knowing how to return them? Now we are back to the reason for a national lost and found website. I am lifting the boxes of bins. Unfortunately in Singapore

UK the old London Transport Lost Property office can now be accessed online. In the old days you had to go in person and could retrieve goods for free. Now there is a charge.

What else can we do on the lost and found websites?
'LOST TODAY'
'FOUND TODAY'

How to prove it's yours?
I can't produce my passport as evidence of identity because my passport is the lost item. But my passport has my picture - you can see it's me!

My phone is supposed to turn on with my thumbprint. However, my phone doesn't like my thumbprint. I do, however, know my phone's passcode, which no stranger would know.