mountains

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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 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! 

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with love from Brand, Austria (1984)

With love from Brand Austria 1984

Mon. 23rd Jan ’84 Dear Hilary, Hi! The hotel is really beautiful, as well as the food. We are literally surrounded by mts, and there is loads of snow. David and I practiced downhill just behind the hotel yesterday and today we took 2 chairlifts up to the top. The slope we took was supposed to be easy but they were steep enough for me. However my skiing is improving – with David’s patient teaching. The cross country also looks good and I’m really looking forward in having a go again. Hope you are all well. Lots of love Wendy

Post marked 24 Jan 84 from Brand bei Bludenz, this status update gives a vivid description of the holiday that Wendy is taking with her boyfriend, David.

The stamp is 4 Austrian Schillings, which was the Austrian currency prior to their adoption of the Euro in 2002

Wendy was from North Wales and proud of it; hence the address specifically identifies England, Great Britain. ‘Great Britain’ is less usual now – these days most people seem to opt for ‘United Kingdom’.

Wendy was also a mother’s help in Oslo, becoming firm friends with Anne and me, as we shared the experience of being away from home for the first time. We also all learned cross country skiing together and spent our days off touring through the cross country trails around Oslo. I continued to correspond with Wendy once we returned to the UK, but I do not recall meeting with her again and we eventually lost touch.

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