... response to my message requesting a description of said spoon revelaed that it did indeed have an elephant at the bottom, and what's more had the princess grand-daughter's name faintly embossed on the handle. Guess what? I have also found a knife and a fork and there is indeed a name faintly imprinted- so faintly I had never even noticed in all those years!

I am now doing forty days bread and water penance for a) taking said items without noticing they were not mine b) never noticing in nine years that they even existed.

I ate a very large slice of humble pie and said I would return them asap, but to whose address- his or XOSD's? 

He also made a very curt comment about my not sending him a text message. I have not responded to that comment but duly noted he will need some warm cuddly slippers soon for his very cold feet...