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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 Yorkshire (1989)

with-love-from-yorkshire

21/7/89 Dear Simon & Hilary, We are enjoying an excellent week in the Yorkshire Dales, not very far from Grassington.  The weather has been superb and we have been on numerous walks in umpteen places.  We are planning a week in Blaenau following a week at home.  Hope you are enjoying a holiday yourselves, much love Uncle Don & Auntie Morfudd

Look at the cars in this picture – they really date the card!  The picture is of Grassington, a popular base from which to explore the Yorkshire Dales, and on this occasion the good weather has obviously helped.

The card carries a 19p first class stamp.

Uncle Don & Auntie Mor are Simon’s aunt & uncle.  Don is the younger brother of Simon’s mum, and he has always shown a great interest in Simon and his brother, Paul.

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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 Val d’Isère (1991)

with-love-from-val-disere

Dear Hilary & Simon, sorry you are not here, skiing and resort are absolutely 1st class, Only bad part so far was a 9 hour coach transfer. chalet idea is really good, food excellent. Andy & Kevin both wish you could have made it, but who knows, next year? Hope things are under control with you. Take care, love John.

Another card from Val d’Isère and John, together with Kevin and Andy, is obviously enjoying the resort.  The text here indicates that we should have been with them on the trip.

The card is postmarked 1991 and carries the 1989 Marianne de Briat definitive stamp.

John is my brother; we learnt to ski as children in the 1970’s with our forward thinking parents, who took us on several package trips to Austria, when ‘winter sports’ holidays were something of a novelty.  Simon and I were due to be on this trip to Val d’Isère, but the UK was in the midst of a recession at the time and our bank manager, more or less, forbade us to go.  We should have ignored him and gone anyway; the end result was the same! 

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with love from Townsville, Northern Queensland (1988)

townsville

Dear Hilary & Simon, G’day mates! Excellent choice of elective made here I feel. Baking weather mostly, seaview from my bedroom window. Beach 3 mins away – palm trees everywhere and masses to do Aussies have a great attitude – fun first – work much later. Very infectious! We’re planning bush weekend this week. Dying of relaxation. Love Marion xxx Letter soon coming.

Postmarked ‘TOWNSVILLE MAIL CENTRE 4-PM 25 AUG 1988’ this card features ‘a fine example of early North Queensland Architecture’.

Despite it being winter time in Australia, the weather is obviously good and Marion is enjoying full immersion in the Australian way of life.

The 63c stamp is from the Living Together definitive series issued in 1988

Marion was my brother’s girlfriend; she took this extended working trip to Australia as part of her medical degree. They planned to get married, but Marion changed her mind; inevitably we all lost touch. A quick Google search suggests that Marion subsequently emigrated to the Australia that she was so taken with.