Saturday 19 February 2000
Highlights: Thieves in the Night, the Tower Museum

During the night someone quietly entered our dorm room and stole my backpack.  After searching we reported it to hostel staff and later the police, not a great feeling :(.

In the end my backpack and most of the contents were found on another floor.  Clothes were thrown in a bin, books and souvenirs were all over the floor and one runner left in a shower with the water on.  The one important item stolen was my Citizens Watch given to me by my mum and dad in 1986 as a reward for my vast improvements from failing to succeeding in primary school.  The watch was the only thing I still had that my dad gave me so this was very disappointing and depressing.

It was the worst thing that could have been taken as it meant so much to me.  I was glad about not losing anything else but still.  The thieves were obviously upset I had nothing else of monetary value in my backpack, I keep important items in my daypack, so took a little revenge by throwing everything around wrecking my runners as a consequence.  I made a statement to the police which was an experience in itself.

Despite losing most of the day we still managed to walk around the old city walls.  We also visited the excellent Tower Museum that showcased Derry’s history and in particular the enormous flashpoint Derry has been during the troubles.

Derry experienced on 30 January 1972 an episode that later became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’.  Thirteen unarmed Catholics were shot dead by the army during a peaceful demonstration against internment without trial.  The original enquiry was a whitewash and only now has the British Government reopened the enquiry to find out what really happened.

We again finished with a few beers to reflect on the day, about why people steal, and the meaning of life with our new friend Kent.