I HAVE had a very traumatic 24 hours during which I lost my handbag at Alum Chine beach – with all the things that make my life work inside it: diary, phone, money, bank cards, glasses (both pairs), and other bits and pieces.

But the really good news is that I discovered again that the world is full of lovely people. I must have left my bag on the bench in the park. I don’t know how I did such a silly thing – I was carrying a jacket and my camera as well, so I suppose it was possible for me not to realise I didn’t have the bag.

Anyway... someone must have seen it lying there and, not knowing what to do, decided that it was safer in the ladies’ public toilets rather than out in the open on the bench.

So maybe they took it and left it there. We did not go into those toilets at all, so I can think of no other possible explanation.

How long it was there, I don’t know – we spent about two hours looking for it, but never thought of looking in the toilets because we knew we hadn’t gone into them.

The cleaners went into the toilets at the end of the day and found the bag. They took the bag to the beach office. So of course by now countless people must have seen it, but no one took anything from it.

The young man at the beach office looked in my bag and phoned home from my very nice iPhone to report that he had my bag and that I could come and collect it.

So today I took the long drive back to Bournemouth and fetched my bag.

I am so grateful to the people who helped me regain my possessions.

CATHY KOETSIER, Hampshire