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I am going to Sidmouth this coming friday and will be camping,I am worried about leaving concertinas in the car overnight,any ideas how I can make them more secure?

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I am going to Sidmouth this coming friday and will be camping,I am worried about leaving concertinas in the car overnight,any ideas how I can make them more secure?

 

I would start by taking a photo and noting a description to include makers name, serial number, etc (the usual stuff you see on a Hobgoblin site, such as 'bb' for bone buttons.) It won't stop it being stolen but it will help yoj to get it back if it is. I have inventoried all my boxes and flutes and I was staggered at the total replacement cost.

 

Assuming it's in lockable case, lock it. If not, put a padlock round the case and through the case handle. People could still steal the case 'on spec' but any deterrent helps.

 

Go room under the (cooled!) bonnet of the car in the engine compartment?

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I am going to Sidmouth this coming friday and will be camping,I am worried about leaving concertinas in the car overnight,any ideas how I can make them more secure?

Wrap them in a comforter and use them as a pillow. :)

 

In fact, I'm only half joking. Always keep them next to your body, even connected to you with a strap or cord. (If your tent isn't big enough, consider getting a slightly bigger tent.)

 

When I travel on trains or buses I always make sure my arm is hooked through the shoulder strap of my concertina case. This not only protects it against potential theft if I take a nap, it prevents me from leaving it behind if I become distracted when it's time to debark. In fact, I do this with any bag, not just my concertina.

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Always keep them next to your body, even connected to you with a strap or cord.

I recall seeing for sale, pehaps 7-10 years ago, a two-piece electronic alarm that sounded when one piece was moved more than X feet from the other. It was marketed in airline magazines as a way of keeping you from becoming separated from your laptop computer (or that bag of $500,000 in unmarked bills).

 

Last year I thought that this would be perfect for traveling with a concertina. I searched online and inquired at a few electronic-gadget shops, but I could no longer find such a product. Still seems like a good idea to me.

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Wrap them in a comforter and use them as a pillow.  :)

Certainly, when we're camping with concertinas, we always keep them with us in the tent at the far end from the entrance.

 

Also, make sure your insurance covers leaving your concertina in the car.

 

See you at Sidmouth, Bazza.

 

Chris

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Always keep them next to your body, even connected to you with a strap or cord.

... a two-piece electronic alarm that sounded when one piece was moved more than X feet from the other ... Last year I thought that this would be perfect for traveling with a concertina ... Still seems like a good idea to me.

 

Do you mean this sort of thing?

 

Samantha

PS Google for "portable door alarm" for more suggestions.

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I try never to leave my concertinas ,unless I ask someone to watch them for me and even then I put them in a place where thet cannot be snatched and run with.

Even on stage I do not leave them after sound checks etc but either take them with me, or talk to the organisers to see if they have a secure locked place where they can be stored.In the car if I go to get fuel I always lock the car before I go to pay.My concertinas are fully ensured but I do not want to have to buy others to replace them.

I have said this before on this site and I will repeat it,I just cannot understand how players can walk away from their concertinas and leave them in the middle of a room packed with people,they are just asking for trouble and are usually amazed when their concertinas are stolen.

I have been present in a pub when a mandolin was stolen and two handbags have been stolen from the George.Sadly some people go out with the express purpose of stealing from people and given half a chance will do it .We analised one of the handbags stolen from the George as we knew the majority of the people in the pub and we were almost certain it was down to two sweet little old lady tourists.

Al

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thanks for all your advice ,I think the alarm going off in the middle of the night would give me a heart attack but a great idea when travelling ,I think I will sleep with them tied to my leg with fishing line ,I have nightmares about loosing my concertinas,I must try and get out a bit more.

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I am going to Sidmouth this coming friday and will be camping,I am worried about leaving concertinas in the car overnight,any ideas how I can make them more secure?

 

Lots of good suggestions (I like the one about an alarm; maybe we should also be installing microchips inside to allow for police identification!)

 

But I also use a very low tech solution: when making the rounds with the MOrris side or hanging out at a festival, I keep the spiffy looking concertina case inside a grungy old duffle bag. Much less tempting to thieves and snatchers, and it's big enough so I can add some extra padding to protect it from jolts. Looks like it's full of dirty workout clothes from the gym, not a nice concertina.

 

Still, I wouldn't leave it in the car overnight.

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I firend of mine suggested that when travelling overseas I keep my concertina (in its case) inside an old bag designed to carry nappies (diapers). Not such a bad idea...

 

Last time I made a shoulder bag for the case by modifiying a second hand army duffle bag... same theory I guess :P

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Last year I took my cherished Dipper with me on my return trip to Ireland. I always had it with me - everywhere I went. I had purchased a small back pack and the concertina rode in that backpack everywhere. I wouldn't even leave it alone in our locked room at the B&Bs we stayed in. Inconvenient, yes; but I was always assured that my concertina was safe. The fact that it was disguised by the backpack probably contributed to its safe roundtrip.

 

But in talking about concertina security, I must relay a contrasting observation from an earlier experience. In 1995 I attended my first Northeast Squeeze-In at Bucksteep in Massachussetts. I was delighted to see the wide range of very rare and valuable concertinas casually displayed in the lobby, the Button Box sales room on the front porch of the Lodge -- to be appreciated and played by others. I am a poor sleeper and occassionally rise early. Saturday morning I was up and out for an early morning walk at half six -- when the rest of the free reed world at Bucksteep was sound asleep. Imagine my shock at seeing the very same rare instruments still sitting unattended and unprotected on the porch tables of the lodge. It is still to me an uncommon image of trust among a group of people who share a common love. Unfortunately, the greed of others can destroy that trust in an instant.

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