UK News
Samuel Pepys' diary returned to British library after 30 years
Mar 10, 2011, 17:05 GMT
London - A former Australian naval attache who borrowed a volume of the famous diaries of Samuel Pepys while stationed in London 30 years ago has finally returned the book to the library in Britain, it was reported Thursday.
Former Navy Lieutenant Commander Ron Robb, who was posted to London in the 1980s, borrowed the volume in 1981 to help his daughter with a project on the famous 17th century naval administrator and parliamentarian.
Unknown to Robb, the 1928 volume remained in his possession and accompanied him to Hong Kong and islands in the Pacific before ending up in Australia, where he re-discovered it during a recent house move in New South Wales.
Robb immediately contacted the library in Sutton, near London, offering to return the precious book. He was told that, calculated on the current daily rate, he would have run up a fine of more than 1,600 pounds (2,600 dollars).
Luckily, Sutton libraries have a policy of stopping fines at a limit of 5 pounds and, in this case, waived the charge altogether.
Read more about Great Britain Culture
Read more about Curiosity
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in UK
- 1. Cambridge beat Oxford in 158th Boat Race after midway halt
- 2. Gas flare at Total's North Sea platform self-extinguishes
- 3. A myth turns 100: Titanic still fascinates world
- 4. Source of North Sea platform gas leak located, says Total
- 5. Efforts under way to stop gas leak on North Sea platform
Older Talkback
