Deltiology

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With love from Vancouver (1987)

with love from Vancouver

28/9 Dearest Hilary & Simon, Saw this statue in Stanly Park where I’m now sitting with Dad looking out at the Pacific. I thought of you – what a lot we’ll have to talk about now. Weather is lovely, warm & hazy – lots of yachts going by. NO STRIKE YET SO WILL WRITE AGAIN. Still can’t believe we’re here. Van excellent Take care, love always Mum & Dad

Mum is very excited to be in Canada and to share news with us. Presumably there was a threat of a postal strike which would have been frustrating (this was before electronic communication was widely available).

The card is postmarked 29 IX 1987 and carries a 72 cent stamp from the 1987 fourth release of the Heritage Artefacts Definitive Series.

On the front is a view from Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park.

In 1987 both my parents were able to negotiate a rare three weeks off work for their trip to tour Vancouver and British Columbia in a camper van. Exactly 30 years later their granddaughter made a similar journey – they have enjoyed comparing routes, notes and photos 🙂

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With love from The Gambia (1991)

with love from the Gambia

Banjul, the Gambia 31.1.91 Dear Simon, Hilary and Talulah, The wandering nomad has discovered the richness of W. Africa and likes what he sees! This is such a rare place – desperately poor and under developed, yet so welcoming and very pro British from it’s historical background. It’s also VERY HOT! Yesterday I actually played cricket in 90°F heat against the national side…we very obviously lost (in fact the game was almost abandoned because it was so oppressive) I hope you are all safe and well. The war news is pretty dreadful and I am still a little concerned that my ship may yet get called upon. It’s unlikely, thank Goodness. Mandy will probably be in touch soon when details for our wedding firm up. Can’t wait! Take care now. All my love, Gra x

Gra continues to enjoy tours with the Royal Navy, but on this occasion the 1991 Gulf War overshadows events.

There is no postmark on the card, but Gra has helpfully dated it. The stamp is commemorating the artist Raphael, but I cannot find any other information about it – can anyone else help?

By this time Gra is looking forward to his second marriage…

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With love from Cornwall (1991)

with love from Cornwall St Anthonys

20.5.91 Here in a lovely hotel for one week. Weather dull but went to lovely St Mawes & found sun. Most enjoyable Trust things are sorting out for you Love Auntie Vi

Another brief update from Auntie Vi, once again featuring the hotel and the weather – those stalwarts of British postcard writing!

Interestingly, Auntie Vi has written a date of 20.5.91 on the card, but the postmark can clearly be seen as ‘NEWQUAY 14 MAY 1991’ – that will remain a mystery…

1991 was a difficult year for us, and many others, as the UK was deep in recession, to which Auntie Vi makes reference in her message.

 

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With love from London (1981)

with love from London

22-X-81 [Sailboard enthusiasts ‘en-masse’] Dear Guess, message received from krautland today. Hope “operation Clean-Up” is going ok – years supply of rubber yellow gloves will be parachuted in on specified date.  Am “checking out” pictured hideaway for possible ‘Leftie’ infiltrators or anti-royal ‘Moles’. DAM

DAM obviously had a supply of these cards, as the same picture also features here and although it shows Romsey, this message is postmarked ‘LONDON 22 OCT 1981’ the same day that it was written.

The 18p stamp depicts fishermen hauling in a trawl net and not windsurfers as DAM suggests! The stamp is from a commemorative set issued in 1981

I had been in Norway a few months by this time, working as children’s nanny, hence the reference to rubber gloves 🙂

I believe that DAM is still in Australia, but I continue to avoid reconnecting…

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With love from the Tank Museum (1991)

with-love-from-dorset

Dear Hilary & Simon & Tallulah, Loz & I went to the tank museum while Linda & Ann went to the more intellectual attraction of Kingston Lacy House.  The first launching of the boat was not a success but will provide an entertaining story when we next see you.  Hope your hol went well, our first attempt at UK camping has been surprisingly not too bad.  Love Ann Gordon & Laurie.

Postmarked ‘BOURNEMOUTH – POOLE 8.30pm 22 AUG 1991’ this card carries a 19p stamp and also carries the infamous ‘REMEMBER to use the POSTCODE’ postmark.

Lots of descriptive information is included in this status update, including the tantalising suggestion of a more detailed and hilarious anecdote to follow!

We met Ann & Gordon, in the late eighties, through a mutual acquaintance; we lived in the same area and found that we had much in common.  Since moving away we don’t see them so often, however we do sometimes meet up for a walk and a pub lunch – although less frequently of late…

 

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With love from Niagara Falls (1982)

with-love-from-niagara

3-2-82  Dear Hilary, Having a great time at Niagara. We’re staying here over night and returning to Toronto tomorrow. Haven’t seen any mounties yet, but there’s plenty of time, and I’m just finishing my training programme so I can catch one! Lumberjacks are in short supply too, would you settle for an Italian! You ought to consider driving a truck out here, they’re immense, + so are the roads – anyway write soon. Love Amanda

Although signed Amanda, I’m fairly convinced that this is another of Mand‘s jokey status updates – she has reverted to her full name and has helpfully dated the message.

The stamps are from a 1977 definitive set of five stamps featuring trees of Canada.

A wide angle lens has captured most of the falls, but it is hard to get a sense of scale from this image.  Better scale on this one, but it loses the vastness…

When we were at school we loved the whole Monty Python lumberjack thing 🙂  I’m not sure what the Italian reference is.  Back in the day, my main career ambition was to become a truck (HGV) driver – slightly influenced by adverts for Yorkie bars (‘good, rich and thick’!), and undoubtedly encouraged by the irritation it provoked in parents and teachers alike, ha!

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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 Torquay (circa 2004)

with-love-from-torquay

Hi, Greetings from Devon. The site is well equipped but big (and lots of Sun reader types!). Weather has been good so far (apart from putting the tent up in the rain). Have done some lovely walks and tomorrow is a boat trip up the river Dart.  Hope you’re all well, love John Joanne A & P

With no date and an illegible postmark it’s impossible to say when this card was sent, so I am guessing 2004 or thereabouts.

Torquay is on the South Devon coast and is part of what is known as the ‘English Riviera‘ due to its generally sunny, warm weather, which makes it a very popular holiday destination.

This is a later card from my brother, John, who is enjoying a camping holiday with his wife and children.

 

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With love from South Africa (c1988)

with-love-from-south-africa

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR Best Wishes Kevin

A short, sweet, seasonal greeting from South Africa!

Kaapstad (Capetown) is just about visible on the postmark but the date of 1988 is a bit of a guess!

The 40c stamp features Frithia Pulchra and is part of the 1988 definitive succulent series.

Another card from Kevin 🙂

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With love from Oslo (1982)

with-love-from-oslo

Thurs, 1st July ’82 Dear Hilary, writing to you on the fiord cruise, but it’s pouring with rain! Mind you it’s almost over & it has been dry. Thanks ever so much for your phone call, great to hear you & I hope you’re still keeping the good work up & smiling! Fantastic to be with family, they’re thoroughly enjoying themselves Unfortunately, though, just as they were leaving home the dog became very ill, worse than ever before! It’s something to do with her womb, most probably have to have an opperation. I just pray she’ll be O.K. & I’ve asked Anne if her dad can do something.  I’ll write again soon, but meanwhile take care lots of love, Wendy xxxx P.S I’ve got you card of midnight sun & also an ‘OSLOVE’ sticker

Lots going on here. Wendy’s enjoying a cruise up the fiords, but the dog is poorly and I’m about to receive an ‘OSLOVE‘ sticker!?

Featuring the Studenterlunden Park in Oslo and postmarked Oslo, the card was presumably posted after Wendy had returned from the cruise.

The two stamps are from the definitive series issued between 1977-1983 which illustrate traditional and historic buildings.

Another card from Wendy,  we were both still in Norway, but I had temporarily relocated, with my employers, to their summer holiday home and Wendy addressed the card to me there.  It is not clear whether Wendy was on the cruise with her own family or with the family that she worked for; I suspect it is the former, as she does sound very pleased to be with them.  We were both coming to the end of our contracts and Anne had already left to start her nursing training.  I cannot recall whether I saw Wendy again before leaving Norway, I certainly never received the ‘OSLOVE’ sticker! Although, we exchanged postcards for a few years, I have lost touch with Wendy and have not yet managed to reconnect with her.