camping

by

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 🙂

by

With love from Canadian Rockies (2017)

with love from Canada

Hey Mum, Dad & Gus, Hope you’re all well & Dad you are getting better 🙂 Canada is amazing! We went white water rafting at Wells Gray NP the other day which was super fun. Yesterday I took Joe on a 18km walk around Lake Kinney at Mount Robson Park (front of postcard) which was beautiful. Today we are in Jasper off to find some wildlife! They had 3 black bears in our campsite yesterday so I shat my pants when going to the loo at night! See you all soon lots of love Jas xx

A joyous status update from Jas – her excitement sings through her writing!  There is no dated postmark, but Jas has helpfully included the date, which is just a few weeks ago.

Another card from Jas – we also received electronic messages, photos and videos (of bears!) while she was away for two weeks. The electronic stuff has disappeared way down the scroll, but the postcard remains stuck up in the kitchen as a constant happy reminder. I’m pleased to have taught my millennial kids the joy of postcard writing! 

by

With love from Criccieth, Wales (1982)

with love from North Wales

Tues 10/8/82 Dear Hilary, Having a great time, & thank God!, the weather has brightened up today. Yesterday we went to Porthmadog, & got soaked! Visited Aberdaron today & the beaches & coves are lovely. The site just outside Criccieth is ideal & we’re just about surviving the meals we make for ourselves! Going to the Pwllheli market tomorrow & maybe Nefyn. We’ve just plonked down in a car park & making a coffee. Love to all. Wendy xx  P.S David is a better cook than you!! (only joking).

Despite the unpredictable Welsh weather Wendy and David seem to be enjoying their visit to the area. It’s not clear if they’re in a static caravan or camping in a tent – I suspect it’s the latter.

Wendy has helpfully included the day and date of writing, and the postmark is clearly visible. This was just after we’d both returned to our family homes at the end of our year working in Norway. Wendy was enjoying a much anticipated holiday with her boyfriend.

The card carries a 12½p stamp, the carriage for a small postcard in 1982. The stamp features, in the top left corner, an image of the Welsh Dragon, reflecting the regional identity.

It seems that Wendy wrote to me regularly with all her news, so now I’m sad that we have lost touch. I’ve been trying to remember her surname, but at the moment it eludes me. I do know that she came from the Rhyl/Abergele area of North Wales; if anyone out there recognises this Wendy, please let me know 🙂

by

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…

 

by

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.

 

by

with love from Keswick (1979)

Keswick 1979

Dear Hilary, Ged here in Keswick and believe it or not its sunny for a change. Ta for your letter and postcard from up North. As you can see I’m in Keswick still but I go home on the 6th of September to my new house the address of which is 14 …. I’ve got to work till next Thursday so I’ll write a proper letter then from ….. So I’ll be able to tell you all my news then, tarra for now. Gerard xx P.S Don’t think much of the hotel on the other side. P.S.S. Hope you had a nice holiday! xx

Here’s another postcard being used to update an address change.  It’s amazing how often we all did that, back in the day! It is unclear whether Ged is staying in the hotel or working in it – the latter I suspect. Either way he’s obviously not a fan, despite the ‘warm welcome, courtesy and friendliness’ promised in print at the bottom!

Sunshine in Keswick is, of course, worthy of a comment 🙂  My postcard to him was from even further ‘up North’ – our family holiday that year was spent driving and camping round the north coast of Scotland.

Postmarked ‘KESWICK 11.30am 31 AUG 1979 CUMBRIA’, this card was posted exactly 37 years ago today! The other postmark is the old favourite ‘REMEMBER to use the POST CODE!’ which he hasn’t.

The card carries 10p worth of stamps which is approximately 52p today (2016).

This is three years after Ged and I first met and the correspondence was still fairly regular; these were the days long before texts, emails, Whatsapp, Facebook; when there were only 3 channels on UK tv and expensive long distance phone calls were made by special appointment and only with permission of the bill payer (Dad), who was generally sat in the same room listening in! Letter writing was the only option 🙂