A great grandmother is ‘absolutely lost’ without a cherished charm bracelet that is full of precious memories of her late second husband.

Sidmouth Herald: Rachel Shergold with her late second husband Gordon and her family last JulyRachel Shergold with her late second husband Gordon and her family last July (Image: Archant)

Almost every year of Rachel Shergold’s life with Gordon was marked with a gold memento – the places they went, people they met, times they had – so its sentimental value was immeasurable.

She took it off to keep it safe when she was staying in Sidmouth last week, but was distraught to find it had gone missing.

“I thought, ‘shall I take it with me?’. I don’t like to be without it,” said the 81-year-old, who lives in Salisbury.

“When I realised I had lost it, I just couldn’t believe it. I was so upset. I was doing all right after my husband’s death. This has brought it all back again.”

Rachel filled up her first charm bracelet with her first husband, Ian, and bought a new one after his death. She remarried, and Gordon decided they should collect charms of their own.

They bought reminders of holidays they shared, weddings they attended and details of Rachel’s three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

She had a charm made from her Mothers Union badge to mark her time as a midwife, and another from the initials on Gordon’s signet ring after he died, aged 91, last year.

The second bracelet was meant to give each of her two daughters something to remember her by after her death.

Rachel said everybody had been so kind when they saw how upset she was to lose it.

She paid particular thanks for the compassion she was shown by staff at the Hotel Riviera, where she was staying, who went as far as re-tracing her steps and calling local pawn shops to see if it had been cashed in.

“I was thrilled with how many people helped,” added Rachel.

“Everybody kept saying there’s a lot of honest people in Sidmouth.

“As much as we can do we have done. I am absolutely lost without it.”

Rachel lost the bracelet between 2pm and 2.45pm last Tuesday (July 21). She felt it was loose and pocketed it by the United Reform Church, then visited Hair Loft, Tesco and the Factory Shop.

Anyone who finds it is asked to hand it in to the police or the Hotel Riviera.