Violin and bow in case stolen London 17 February

17 February Saturday: stolen from a car in Radlett, Herts – violin and bow, in cheap brown canvas-covered case. The maker of the violin is unknown, there is no label in it. When it was last re-set-up which was several years ago, we were told that it was probably made about 1810, by a good amateur English maker. It is unusual in that the back is in one piece, and the angle of the fingerboard is probably as it was made (most fiddles were adjusted later to take the increased tension of metal strings). We were always advised that if we wanted to sell it, we should find someone looking for an instrument they could string as a ‘period’ fiddle, i.e. with gut strings at either baroque or classical pitch. Recently insured for £4000. There was also a bow in the case – this is not valuable (standard school issue) and was in a fairly tatty condition, awaiting re-hairing.