Surprise return of 60s rocker's unique guitar

Former Rockin’ Vickers guitarist Nick Gribbon, 68, lost his custom-made multi-coloured guitar on Thursday after his son, Luke, accidentally left it in the back of a taxi after returning from a night out.

He said: “My son took the guitar to play at The Galleon bar on Abingdon Street. He caught a taxi in town and came back home.

“He went into the house to get some change and when he went back he grabbed the guitar leads from the back, but left the guitar. Whoever was in the taxi next must have picked it up.

“Luke was distraught. He felt very guilty - he wasn’t even sleeping right.

“It’s a one-off guitar. There’s nothing like it. I have had it for 27 years and it’s just got a sound of its own. I’ve never heard anything like it.

“I’ve played all over the place with it. Every gig that I’ve done round here was with that guitar.”

The father-of-four, who lives in central Blackpool and performed classic rock tunes ‘I Go Ape’ and ‘Someone Like You’ with the Rockin’ Vickers before being replaced by rock legend Lemmy, of Motorhead fame, thought he would never see his beloved guitar again.

He was shocked to discover the instrument propped up in his garage after it was returned by a mysterious good Samaritan on Tuesday.

He said: “I stared at it in disbelief.

“I didn’t think I was going to see it again. I thought it was taken by someone out of town.

“I thought I’d have a look in the garage for a guitar strap and there it was propped up against the speakers.

“It must have been the ghost of Lemmy beaming it back!

“I think whoever has picked it up got it from the taxi, and one of their friends has said ‘that’s Nick Gribbon’s guitar, you’d better give it back!’”

Nick is now looking forward to returning to the stage with his unique guitar in hand.

He said: “I am unbelievably happy.

“The guitar is like my baby. I’d sell anything, but not that.

“Whoever the unknown person is who returned it I would like to say a thousand thank yous.

“They didn’t even claim the reward.

“If they had asked for £400 for the guitar I would have paid it no questions asked.

“Whether they took it or not, I’m not bothered. I’m just glad to have it back.”