Exmoor

by

With love from Minehead (1986)

with love from Minehead

23.6.86 Had an easy journey here & weather varied. Sun & mist but warm. We are close to Exmoor & with a good pair of boots would love to walk up there. Sad but I think those days are past. Hope your Lake District holiday was a success. We return on Sat. Love Auntie Vi

Auntie Vi is in her favourite county of Somerset and coming to terms with the fact that she isn’t able to do as much as she once could. The Lake District holiday to which she refers was our honeymoon earlier in the year 🙂

The card is postmarked ‘MINEHEAD 23 JUN 1986’ and carries a 17p stamp which was part of a set issued in 1986 featuring medieval life, and commemorating the 900th anniversary of the Domesday Book.

(Great) Auntie Vi was a widow for much of her later life; she overcame her grief and regained her spirit and independence – an example to us all. 

by

with love from Ilfracombe (1976)

with love from Ilfracombe

To Hilary, I’m having a great time. On Sun we went on some go-karts motor ones it was great fun. Today we went to Arlington Court and yesterday we went to Lynmouth and Lynton. Tonight we might go fishing. The farms nice and they have a lamb that comes to you and 3 horses and sheep, cows and chicks bye for now Helen.

As this is postmarked ‘Tunbridge Wells 1.15pm 9 Aug 1976 Kent’ it would appear to have been posted after Helen returned from her trip to Devon. The other postmark reads ‘National Savings Diamond Jubilee 1916-1976 Go on saving at The Post Office’ – the Post Office promoting its savings schemes.

The stamp is 8½p – the price for a 2 ounce (57g) first class letter at the time, equivalent to 64p in 2015; a small postcard stamp would have cost 6½p (49p in 2015)

Helen went to Devon regularly, often staying on farms it seems. Ilfracombe remains much the same with that beautiful blue sky on the odd summer’s day; the white Royal Britannia Hotel on the right hand side is still a popular place to  stay.

I am increasingly sad that I lost touch with Helen, as we obviously exchanged cards for some years after I moved away from the area where we were at primary school together. 

by

with love from Lynmouth (1979)

with love from Lynmouth

Friday 24th August. Dear Hilary, Enjoying my holiday weather is very bad guest house and surrounding countryside are very nice though. We will be moving on to South Devon on Sunday, then we will go home on Wednesday We are off visiting friends tonight. Will write when I get home Love Helen

Postmarked ‘North Devon  7.00pm 28 August 1979’

A later card from Helen who, despite the ‘bad’ weather, appears to be enjoying another holiday in Devon with her family.

Lynmouth and Lynton are tucked away on the North Devon Coast (UK) and continue to be a popular destination ‘away from it all’ – not much has changed in 40 years.

 

Helen and I were friends in primary school; she emigrated, with her family, to New Zealand for a while, but they later came back. This card was written five years after I had moved away from my early childhood home. Sadly, I did not maintain contact with Helen and, as yet, I have been unable to trace her through the wonder of the internet.