Facebook post dated  20/09/2020.

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Not all bad news, but a bit of a weird day all in all. 
Some people may or my not know that I play banjo. 
I have actually played banjo on at least 1000 of the 3000 + gigs I’ve played over the past 35 years. 
At least 500 of those were played on my Hondo Masterpiece banjo. 
A gaudy Korean copy of a Gibson Mastertone. 
My first “real” banjo. 
I used this banjo on my first pro gig in 1988 with the Stu Page band, a rather bizzare gig at The Golden Lion Hotel in Ashburton in Devon. The owner and host was non other than Alan Hope AKA "Howling Laud Hope" of the Monster Raving Loony Party.
It travelled with me to various gigs and festivals throughout the UK and Europe.
It was the banjo I was playing when I was approached by a then beardless Billy Connolly (whom I didn’t recognise at first) at a posh private gig (it was actually Elton Johns birthday party. No I can’t believe it either!) at John Ryans house in Rickmansworth in 1989 whereupon he complimented me on my playing. 
I also used it in the studio on numerous recordings. 
Thereafter it stood next to my pedal steel guitar onstage whilst performing with many fine UK country bands. 
It was my main instrument in my obligatory year long stint performing with the wonderfully eccentric, super talented but sadly now departed Nick strutt. 
Several bands later it was my main instrument with The Muldoon Brothers and was gigged to near destruction in this time. 
I played this banjo when we appeared on the Jonathan Ross “Big Big Talent Show”. 
It can also be seen on The Muldoons “live at the Frontier” video (YouTube)
Battered though it was the banjo still had lots of life left and I continued to gig it regularly. 
I used it at a fantastic gig, supporting the amazing Chas and Dave at the Pennington Midland Hotel in Bradford (1998?) 
They both very kindly signed the banjo for me. 
It was later singed by the legendary melodic banjo pioneer, Bill Keith at his appearance at the Grove inn, Leeds. 
In May 2000 however it was stolen from my home along with 6 other instruments. 
I was devastated at the loss of all the instruments but this one in particular had a lot of memories attached. 
I thought it was lost forever until about a month ago when it surfaced for sale in Nottingham on Facebook marketplace. 
I contacted West Yorkshire police and They managed to retrieve the original crime number despite it being in an obsolete records system. 
I was able to identify the banjo as my own by providing photos of me playing the banjo with the signatures clearly visible. 
They then contacted Nottinghamshire police who duly recovered the banjo. 
And so today, just over 20 years after it was stolen, I was reunited with my old battered banjo at Retford Police station.  
I’ll be doing a little bit of renovation and it will be back out on the road as soon as the current gigging situation allows. 
I’d like to thank both Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire police for their efforts.

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The banjo has since been stripped, cleaned, rebuilt and is regularly played by Tim.