Hang on to your handbags

Dec 8 2008 Jackie Violet

Hang on to your handbags

I REMEMBER my dad teasing my gran relentlessly over the fact she never went anywhere without her handbag. The problem was this included trips to the toilet as well as the shops so you can see his bemusement.

But you have to admit it is a rare occasion women go anywhere without their precious totes. Memories of the dance floor come flooding back when even then we could not be parted from our beloved fake Chanel quilted bags with gold-link chains. Rather than leave them sitting all alone and forlorn on a chair, we chucked them into the middle of the dance floor and then proceeded to dance around them.

No wonder the boys stayed on their side of the disco hall.

Yet isn't it strange that the bigger the handbag, the more we find to fill it.

Of course the office party is a nightmare, for we do not want to ruin our image by pairing a sack with our new sleek cocktail dress bought specifically with that dishy new bloke from accounts in mind. Hours then are spent, not to get ready, but to prioritise what essential items go into the miniscule sequinned clutch bag that complements the dress beautifully.

Our handbags are an appendage from which we are never to be parted.

So I was quite surprised to hear that more than 400,000 women in the UK have had their handbags stolen from their car in the past 12 months, according to research by women's car insurance specialist Diamond.

More astonishing is the fact that the total value of those handbags is around £178 million. The research also revealed the average cost of a woman's handbag and its contents is £431.68, and that does not include the cost of replacing car and house keys.

What it does include are our 'cannot go anywhere without' items such as purse, credit cards, mobile phone, make-up, umbrella, sunglasses, pen etc.

So, never leave your handbag on display in the car even for a few minutes, say, at the petrol station. If you are to be parted, lock all doors, windows, plus sunroof, and never leave your keys in the ignition.

If you think hiding your handbag under the passenger seat will fox the thieves, think again. It's the first place they look if they notice a car is not locked.

The only safe place, if you insist on leaving your handbag, is in your car's boot, which you have locked.

That way no one can bag your loot.