People

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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 Brisbane (1988)

with love from Brisbane

Dear H & S, Glad postal strike is over at last. Sue and I have just arrived here after 18 hour bus journey from Townsville. We’ve just been to the koala park and had our photos taken cuddling koalas – how touristy!!  John will be here in a couple of days and by then hopefully I will have found the airport. Falling desperately in love with Australia and travelling – just have to hope John does too.  Lots of love Marion x

This card is postmarked 30 Sept 1988 and it would appear that there had been a postal strike in Australia, which must have been very frustrating (this was before electronic communication was universally accessible).

The stamp is from the set of 29 different cartoons depicting aspects of Australian life, issued in 1988

Marion has travelled to Brisbane, home of World Expo 88

Marion is waiting for my brother to arrive for their road trip. Reading this now, with the benefit of hindsight and life experience, I cannot believe I did not notice that Marion is clearly not ready to settle down to married life. She made the strong decision to cancel the wedding and follow her own path. Heartbreaking as it was at the time, for all of us, it was the right choice for her.

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With love from Singapore (1988)

with love from Singapore

Dear Hilary & Simon, Arrived safely Singapore is very hot & humid but a lovely place. Already planning a return visit. We’re enjoying the luxury of hotel life and Singapore Gin Sling at the Raffles bar then off to O3/D3 [?] later tonight. Been all around on  a couple of tours and spent this pm in the hotel pool Its really hell out here. Keep well & happy much love Marion xxx

A hectic status update but Marion does not say how long she is staying and there is no clue to the identity of her travelling companion/s.

Despite a google search I’ve no idea what O3 (or is it D3?) is, or was – can anyone else shed any light?

In 1964 the Merlion image (featured in the picture) was designed for use by the Singapore Tourism Board.

The card is postmarked ‘SINGAPORE 17 AUG 88’ and carries stamps from the 1985 definitive Insect series.

The timing suggests that this message was sent when en route to Australia. I liked Marion, but I do not feel that it is my place to reconnect with her.

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With love from Valbonne-Village (2005)

with love from Valbonne

27th of Jan 05 Dear Hillary, Thanks for a long and informative letter with a nice picture of a fantastic family! You manage to do so much and have so much enthusiasm… Next week Eivind and I will visit [son] five days skiing in Verbier. Lots of love and good wishes, from Vibeke  It has been snowing for some days. I only stay 3 days, fortunately.

On the front of the card are scenes of the picturesque Valbonne area, where Vibeke is staying.

The card is postmarked ‘NICE 31 01 05 ALPES MARITIMES’ and carries the Marianne du 14 Juillet stamp.

Another card from Vibeke in response to my earlier letter. This one was sent some 23 years after I left Norway. At the time, I was in full swing with my own family and probably considerably influenced by the experience of living and working within Vibeke’s own enthusiastic, busy and active household!

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With love from Algarve, Portugal (1986)

with love from Portugal

Dear Hilary & Simon, Weather lovely Having a good time I suffered losing a stone for my holiday I will put 25 stone on the food is fab Love Auntie Laura

A short and sweet note featuring our favourite topics of the weather and food!

The card is postmarked ’25-VI 1986 Armacao‘ and carries a selection of stamps, two of which are from the Traditional Portugal Architecture series and one from the Development of Technology series, issued in 1978

Auntie Laura was my great aunt, she was married to my Nan’s brother. We saw them regularly at family gatherings when I was young, and they were fun to be around. Auntie Laura was a rock within her own immediate family; she died some years ago.

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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 London (2017)

with-love-from-museum-of-london

13th February 2017 go, it’s free! before they relocate to Smithfield Mkt. Hilary, I saw this exhibition today (for free!) and obviously thought about our recent Charminster Chapter conversation. This permanent exhibition of suffragette/suffragist (we know the difference!) memorabilia has even inspired the gift shop’s souvenirs – Emmeline Pankhurst key rings & fridge magnets. The video footage + hearing their speeches on sound recordings was haunting, brave women Sally xxxx

This dropped through the door the other day, in an envelope, as there’s not enough space on the card for a message and an address.  The post mark is Mount Pleasant, one of the largest postal sorting offices.

Charminster Chapter is the name of the book group that I meet with. We recently read ‘A History of Britain in 21 Women‘ by Jenni Murray, which everyone enjoyed much more than they thought they would!  It is written in a conversational style that encouraged us to really engage and identify with the women featured, one of them being Emmeline Pankhurst.  We learned how all these women have helped to shape our country and we bemoaned the fact that we never learned enough, if anything, about them in school.

It is a testament to the book that we continue to discuss, get excited about and even add to the list of women included.

Sally‘s enthusiasm for the Museum of London is very apparent in her message, seems like I’ll have to pay a visit myself 🙂

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With love from Costa Brava, Spain (1979)

with-love-from-spain

Dear Hiraly, we are in beautiful sunny Spain and having a great time. We’re staying in the place on the front of the postcard. I’ve put a dot & a cross where I think our villa is. It’s a bit hard to distinguish one from another at that distance but never mind! So far I haven’t had time to write postcards but I’ve got a headache at the moment which really throbs so I haven’t been swimming. Too much sun I expect! I’m convinced I’ve got sunstroke though! I’ve bought myself some snorkelling stuff (very cheap here) and we (me, Neil, Ally, Paula, our friends) went snorkelling off the rocks. It was great fun. We saw shoals of fish, black very spiky sea urchins which I so cleverly got stuck in her big toe despite wearing plastic sandals. Luckily we managed to get most of it out. Trust me. I’d better go there’s not much space left as you can see. Hope to see you at end of summer love Jackie xxx PS Neil saw an octopus. I’ve never got of the sea so fast.

Another card from Jackie with her distinctive method of writing all around the edge and back across the top! Despite feeling under the weather she’s managed to pack a lot of news and anecdotes into the space.  The cross she refers to is just visible to the right of the trunk and on the wooded area in the distance; the dot is just below it.

The postmark date is 16 06 1979 and the stamp is one of a set of three encouraging us all to save energy.

Porta de la Selva is featured on the front and still looks much the same although that tree might have gone now!

Jackie was seemingly quite a prolific card writer and enjoyed many holidays with her family.

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With love from Fallingbostel (1979)

With love from Fallingbostel 1979

Dear Hilary! I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a lucky New Year 1980. I’m always totally stressed before Christmas, so I send you only this card with the hope that we can continue our correspondence also 1980. Anyway have a nice holiday, many Christmas presents and perhaps a party at Christmas Eve. Yours Claudia

This card features another Christmas Greeting from Germany – the cards are very similar and sent just a year apart.  The German text roughly translates as ‘A merry Christmas and a happy new Year’.

The postmark is clearly visible and is dated ‘FALLINGBOSTEL 21.12.79’  There is another postmark promoting the town of Fallingbostel with its Kneipp Spa and Luftkurort.

Schloss Rheydt, featured on the 60 pfennig stamp, is a Renaissance palace in Rheydt, Mönchengladbach. The stamp is part of the definitive series issued in 1977 featuring strongholds and castles.

Another card from Claudia who was not ‘stressed’ at all when I met her in London on Sunday! Having not communicated for some 20 years we have now managed to meet up In Real Life twice within the space of twelve months!  Happy Days 🙂

 

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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.