My first shotgun was an inherited Stevens SxS which had really seen some summers. About 15 years ago I decided to clean it up properly, and found the original owner's name hidden in the stock-bolt hole. It was my grandfather on Mum's side of the family: he had a weak tikker and died when I was just a kid.

I knew he was the pump-station operator at Teddington Weir in South Queensland between the wars when my Mum was born, but don't have much more historical background from that side of the family.

Its only an oil-soaked scrap of paper, but worth more than gold to me.

Come to think of it, now that I've scanned it, I think I'll put it back.....