Man reunited with missing wallet when it suddenly appears 30 years later

14 February 2024 , 20:00

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Fraser Gall found the wallet with his dog on a beach in Scotland (Image: Fraser Gall)

A man has miraculously been reunited with his wallet - a whole 30 years after it vanished.

Fraser Gall, from East Lothian in Scotland, found the 'time capsule' wallet while walking his dog on North Berwick's East Sands, causing quite the stir. After posting about the find on social media, he managed to return the old-school purse to its truly surprised owner.

The contents are something of a timewarp - including a Royal Bank of Scotland card from 1991 and a vintage £50 cheque card nestled tightly inside. Other blasts from the past were local shop cards and an AZAD video membership card, bringing back memories of a popular Leith rental shop from yesteryear.

The retro contents include a Royal Bank of Scotland Cashline card (Fraser Gall)

The owner has now been reunited with their wallet decades later (Fraser Gall)

There was also a Quality Video card, which served as a reminder of a beloved video rental store in East Lothian. Fraser, who's a local lad himself, expressed: "I just picked it up and couldn't believe it was from the 1980s and I thought to myself that I should reunite it with its owner, how it was in such good condition I have no idea, and where it came from I have no clue."

It doesn't look like the wallet came from the dunes so it is a complete mystery that something like this just appeared after 40-odd years. Initially I thought someone had just dropped this but I just couldn't believe it when I looked at some of the cards, a few of them were from my childhood, and it really brought me back."

'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'

Fraser decided to return the old wallet to its rightful owner and used Facebook to track them down. After posting pictures of the wallet, he was contacted by a local who knew the person who had lost it years ago.

Local newspaper Edinburgh Live got in touch with the wallet's owner, but they chose to remain anonymous. The owner was so grateful for Fraser's efforts that they offered him a pint when they met. But Fraser, who enjoys hunting for old bottles and memorabilia, was just pleased to see the wallet returned to its owner.

Steven Brown