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With love from Perpignan (2016)

with love from France

Hello H & S, I have just spent a week cycling up various mountains near Perpignan and so I’m now fit and well. 4 of us stayed in my friend Alwyn’s house here, as we do every year, eating and drinking our way through massive amounts of food and wine. It’s like a skiing trip but with mountain bikes instead. Love Jon x

Sounds like a great trip! I love the illustration on the front of the card so typical of early 20th century advertising – this one promoting the superiority of a particular bike.

The stamp is the latest (controversial) version of Marianne.

Another card from Jon, who has also rediscovered the joy of postcard writing 🙂

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With love from Cordoba, Spain (1987)

with love from Cordoba

Dear Hilary – Ursula talked me into a second holiday, so here we are in Spain. Have just arrived in Granada, having been to Cordoba & Seville. We’re going to stay here 2 days, then back to Malaga to souvenir hunt, & lie on a beach for an afternoon. We’re in Spain for a week & it’s a revelation – v. beautiful with wonderful sightseeing and everything v. cheap. Love to Simon x Anne xx

Anne is loving southern Spain and making the most of her visit.

Part of Mezquita Cathedral is pictured on the front of the card and the 40 pesetas of stamps feature King Juan Carlos I from the 1976-84 definitive series.

I must make the effort to see Anne again…

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With love from Barcelona (1991)

with love from Barcelona

Dear All, Having a brilliant week in Barcelona with Tony & Ursula. The architecture – Modernist, Gothic & Medieval – is stunning. We’re finding time for plenty of local brews & tapas. We also went to the mountains for a day’s break, & came back laden with lovely old pots. Many congrats on the new baby – I’ll be in touch v. soon. Love Anne x

Anne enjoys art and culture so, naturally, she is loving Barcelona!

The card carries 45 pesetas of stamps featuring King Juan Carlos I from the 1976-84 definitive series and is postmarked ‘BARCELONA 27 JUN 91’, which is several months after the birth of the ‘new’ baby mentioned.

Suddenly, it appears that two  years have passed since I last caught up with Anne… 😦

 

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With love from California (2017)

with love from California

Hi Hilary! my health continues to decline. i have Achile’s tendonitis that started many months i finally had to get a big boot and go to physical therapy. i put all my art supplies [away] during the holidays [and] desperately wanted to paint, so i started bring stuff up from the garage, yay! as you can tell nothing happens in my life! Love C 1/17

The photo does not do justice to the depth of colour and texture that C has achieved in this hand made card.  She’s mainly used oil pastels on this one, I think, and I love the colour combinations 🙂  You can see more of her work here

It’s a great status update, from earlier this year (2017), about the minutiae of a life that is lived dealing with debilitating health issues,  and food for thought for those of us lucky enough to be currently enjoying good health and a full life – make the most of it and be nice!

C and I have been exchanging postcards for over a year now!  Hers are always her own artwork, while mine to her are a mix of hand made and commercial ones that I pick up when I’m and about and think of her.

 

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With love from Bath (2016)

with-love-from-bath

Hello from Bath! Just to say I’m thinking of you enjoying your Christmas in front of a roaring fire at home. I always stop and gaze at the weir when I walk past, as I love the shape and the water, right in the middle of the city. Love to all Jon x

A great little seasonal update, with a reminder to take time to enjoy the beauty that is around  us. There’s no date or post mark on this, but it arrived at the end of December and carries the 2016 first class Christmas Stamp.

The writing on the back describes Pulteney Bridge, featured on the front, as one of three bridges in the world lined by shops on both sides.  The other two being in Italy, Ponte Vecchio and Ponte di Rialto.

Another message from Jon, this time addressed only to me, which makes me smile – Jon knew that the artistic sentiment would be lost on Simon, so he didn’t bother to include him!  We’ll be catching up with Jon on our annual ski trip in a few weeks time 🙂

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With love from California (2017)

with-love-from-california-2017

Hi Hilary! It’s raining here for a week which gives me terrible.  Christmas week was nice: did a lot of decorations and sat looking at the Christmas trees and listening to Christmas music. How was your Xmas? Happy New Year

Another original design created by crazyruthie in postcard format; it must have taken ages to colour all those little shapes!

The postmark is barely visible, you can just make out the number 7 on the right which, along with the text, indicates that this card was received early in 2017 (this year).

The stamp is that Global universal stamp which, it occurs to me, may soon include the head and shoulders of the president! (Anything is possible).

Another card from CBC who I have become postcard pals with since starting this blog 🙂

 

 

 

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with love from West Cork, Ireland (2002)

With love from West Cork

30.7.02 Just a quick ‘hi’. Hope all’s well. Had a nice week in Co. Waterford – splendid weather, fab scenery, coves, seals, beaches, jelly fish & v. friendly people. Farm was great & now over at Bantry Bay generally poking about. Lovely mussels & boys enjoying it all! Hope to see you after 5/8 – love to all – Alison + Bells

Here’s another message waxing lyrical about Ireland; Alison and the Bells certainly seem to be making the most of it 🙂 It looks very picturesque, however, for a professional shot, it is a shame that the horizon is not level!

The card is postmarked ‘DURAS 01.8.02′ and carries a 41 cent Europa stamp.  2002 was the inaugural competition for the best Europa stamp design.

I became friends with Alison when our children were small. We shared a love of encouraging play in the countryside and enjoyed many days of riverside picnics, water fights, dam building,  football and rounders matches.  These days Alison and I still meet regularly for walks, which inspire our art and poetry 🙂

 

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with love from Portofino, Italy (1987)

with love from Portofino

21/9/97 Dear Hilary, Many thanks for your nice letter. Eivind and I have a ‘honeymoon’ to Italy and France, arrived yesterday. It’s very hot and nice. Extremely charming. We play tennis, swim, eat and relax! Just marvellous. Tomorrow we go to La Eze, near Monaco and stay till Thursday evening. In Oslo it’s +2º in the morning and snow in the mountains. It’s a pity you cannot come to Oslo but hopefully later.  We go to Meribel in France for winter holiday end February with all the children.  Much love from Vibeke

It sounds lovely! Interesting comparison of September temperatures in Northern and Southern Europe.

The card carries a damaged 500 lire stamp, issued in 1980, featuring the Castello di Rovereto in Rome, and is postmarked ‘PORTOFINO 22.9.87’

The images on the front of the card show the picturesque harbour of Portofino, which is on the north west coast of Italy.

Vibeke (pronounced ‘Veebecca’) and her family employed me for a year, to live in their Oslo home and help with the housework and children. One of my main tasks was to play with and speak English with the children. The youngest spoke no English when I arrived but was reasonably fluent by the time I left; my Norwegian continues to be virtually non-existent! This card was sent five years after I left Norway, and I’m pleased to say that I am still in regular contact with Vibeke, over 30 years later; as well as with some of the children, who are really only a bit younger than me, and now have their own families 🙂 Despite the best intentions, I have never been back to Norway…

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with love from Bodrum (1987)

with love from Bodrum

Simon & Hiliary, Weather hotter than tenerife often over 100°F. Bacardi not so cheap but Raki (Like pernod) is. Lots of sailing and windsurfing done out here, Sailing holidays very reasonable. The sun is helping the cartlidge scar to fade quite nicely. Hope there are more IN’s than OUT’s. See you soon Andy & Kev

Lots of information in this status update – the weather features of course, since we Brits are always so fascinated by non-stop hot sunshine!  The price of various drinks is also something we tend to be interested in as well.

The picture is of the iconic Bodrum castle and the beautiful surrounding scenery ensures that the area continues to be a popular holiday destination.

Postmarked ‘BODRUM 30 VII 87’ the card carries a 150 Lira stamp; one of a set of three issued in April 1987 which highlighted road safety.

Andy (who has written the card) was at University with my husband; I got to know Andy soon after I met Simon, over 30 years ago; then, through Andy, we met Kevin. We all had several holidays together (one in Tenerife) and still see both of them and their respective families regularly.  Andy, Kevin and Simon all run their own businesses – hence the ‘more IN’s than OUT’s’ comment.

 

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with love from Manchester (2016)

with love from Manchester

Dear Hilary, We’re in Manchester, staying with Julia and Matt. Had a visit to the Whitworth Gallery. Julia & Matt are now in their own little house in Didsbury. Hope the foot is on the mend. Sue

Post marked ‘Royal Mail South Midlands Mail Centre 19-01-2016’ the status update on this card is brief and informative.

Featured on the front is Manchester’s Whitworth Gallery, which has recently undergone extension and renovation works.

The other postmark is ‘Celebrating 500 Years of Royal Mail 1516-2016’ Amazingly, it seems we have had some sort of postal service in the UK since Henry VIII was king!

I have been friends with this fourth Sue for over 20 years; we met when our children started school and we used to chat every day in the playground. We still see each other, but not quite so often these days; the children have all remained friends too 🙂  I had a minor operation on my foot in January which Sue refers to in her message.  I’m still no wiser about Sue no 3, 2 or 1….