Tortellini the tortoise had his owners worried sick for months — but a glass of one of the nation's favourite summery tipples helped reunite him with his loved ones. James Fisher reports.
The lure of a refreshing glass of Pimm’s was too much for Tortellini the tortoise, who was spotted heading straight for the bar at Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham and was thus reunited with her owners after two months on the run. The 11-year-old runaway reptile was discovered on the lawn of the historic villa in west London during a networking event and Pimm’s reception hosted by Richmond Age UK.
It’s believed that Tortellini escaped from the garden of her owners, the Bryson family, in May after slipping through a gap in the fence. Helen and Matt Bryson and their children, Daisy and Ollie, searched ‘high and low’, but there was no sign of the intrepid Hermann’s tortoise, until her discovery at the former home of Horace Walpole.
‘One of the people attending the meeting discovered Tortellini and asked me if we had a tortoise,’ said Claire Leighton, community outreach manager at Strawberry Hill House. ‘I said “no, we don’t” and was about to take her home for safekeeping after work, when I decided to go around the neighbourhood with her and see if anyone recognised her.’
Strawberry Hill House, Gothic home of Horace Walpole, though we doubt that had much bearing on Tortellini showing up.
Thankfully, Ms Leighton knocked on the door of the Brysons, who were shellshocked to see Tortellini and delighted to be reunited with their missing pet. Tortellini’s sister, Pesto, was also immensely pleased to see her.
It is not the first time Tortellini has escaped, according to Mrs Bryson. ‘The garden is now a bit more blocked off, but she is fast and great at climbing. We have lost her many times on adventures over the past 11 years, but she always seems to find her way home for cuddles.’
According to Strawberry Hill House, Tortellini is now being indulged with her favourite snack, which is cat food.
Curious Questions: Why do we all love tortoises?
With a taste for radio and raspberries and a habit of clambering over anything in their path, tortoises are never
Britain’s first giant tortoises: ‘They’ve been around for 200 million years – we’re a blip to them’
Adrian Graham is passionate about his pets, which can live for up to 250 years and grow to the size
