school

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With love from Tatton, UK (2016)

with love from Tatton

Dear Hilary We are visiting Julia and Matt for a few days. Went to Tatton Park yesterday, rather wet!! Have never been so close to deer! Going to visit Paul’s Dad tomorrow in the home, and viewing a flat for his Mum. Sue

A quick status update from Sue who is, once again, visiting relatives in the north of England.

The blurred postmark date reads 16.07.16

Thanks to our creation of a book group, I now see Sue and other ‘school gates’ friends at least once a month to discuss, among other things, the current month’s set read 🙂

 

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With love from Marrakech (2005)

with love from Marrakech

Dear Hilary – we’re having a great time in Marrakesh (5 night break over half term). We’ve explored the city & taken a trip into the Atlas Mountains. The hotel is wonderful, with a lovely pool & garden with tortoises, so the children are happy. Thanks for the b’day card – I do hope all is going to plan for your Dad. Take care – love Anne Tony Isobel & Dora xxx

This sounds wonderful – something for everyone!  Obviously finding the post office was not on their list of things to do, as this card was posted from London on their return 🙂

The postmark date is 08.06.05 and the other postmark is supporting the London 2012 Olympic Bid, which was, of course, successful!

In her message Anne refers to my Dad, who underwent a double heart bypass operation that year, which was quite stressful, but twelve years later he is still going strong 🙂

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With love from Malia, Greece (c1987)

with love from Malia

Sunday.  so far so good, chickens and deckchairs aside. Having lots of fun – loads of swimming, snorkelling (have seen some great fish!), sunbathing etc Food – dirt cheap & the beer. We’re hiring scooters to see ruins of Heraklion tomorrow then a jeep to visit Vai (of bounty advert fame) & some other places. Have 2 trips planned too; a cretan evening with apt food & entertainment in scenic spot & an approx 10 mile walk along biggest gorge in Europe (apparently) + desparately needed boat ride! Loads of banana trees about. Malia‘s a pleasant combination of old traditional & new touristy. Hope to see you soon (after 25th) love Sara, Simon x

There seems to be an entire ‘rough guide’ to Crete contained in this message! Sara and Simon are certainly making the most of their trip.

Unfortunately, the card carries no postmark, so I am guessing this was sent around 1987

The 32 drachma stamp is from the Greek Gods series issued in 1986

Sara and I have been friends since school and continue to see each other regularly – I’m not sure if she still uses my nickname from way back, Hiral… that’s the thing about nicknames, you don’t notice them after a while!

 

 

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With love from Niagara Falls (1982)

with-love-from-niagara

3-2-82  Dear Hilary, Having a great time at Niagara. We’re staying here over night and returning to Toronto tomorrow. Haven’t seen any mounties yet, but there’s plenty of time, and I’m just finishing my training programme so I can catch one! Lumberjacks are in short supply too, would you settle for an Italian! You ought to consider driving a truck out here, they’re immense, + so are the roads – anyway write soon. Love Amanda

Although signed Amanda, I’m fairly convinced that this is another of Mand‘s jokey status updates – she has reverted to her full name and has helpfully dated the message.

The stamps are from a 1977 definitive set of five stamps featuring trees of Canada.

A wide angle lens has captured most of the falls, but it is hard to get a sense of scale from this image.  Better scale on this one, but it loses the vastness…

When we were at school we loved the whole Monty Python lumberjack thing 🙂  I’m not sure what the Italian reference is.  Back in the day, my main career ambition was to become a truck (HGV) driver – slightly influenced by adverts for Yorkie bars (‘good, rich and thick’!), and undoubtedly encouraged by the irritation it provoked in parents and teachers alike, ha!

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With love from Huizen, Holland (1980)

with-love-from-holland

Dear Hiral, Having a great time, so far, (it’s only the 2nd day but I’m sending this now so it arrives before I do!) As you can see the natives are really lively, always laughing + joking tapping their clogs, harping on about windmills and making sure their bikes are roadworthy. A FULL REPORT ON MY RETURN! Luv MAND.

A witty note full of stereotypical descriptions, but not a lot of information about what Mand is doing on her trip! Huizen is in northern Holland but there is no indication if Mand was staying there or simply passing through.

The card is postmarked ‘AMSTERDAM 18 VIII 80’ and carries another postmark which roughly translates as ‘POSTCODE use it well’ – a familiar request. The 55c stamp features Queen Juliana and was issued in 1971

Mand was at senior school and sixth form college with me, along with Sara and Anne. At one point Mand and I fell out over a boy… I’m no longer in touch with Mand.

 

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With love from Eastbourne (circa 1983)

with-love-from-eastbourne

Dear Hilary, thanks very much indeed for your postcard. Are you living in London now? Hope your course is going well. I am doing SRN and am into my last  year now (3rd), I will remember your b.day this yr! love to your family, love Ida xxx

Another perfect little status update from Ida, who appears to have settled in Eastbourne.

The postmark reads ‘SUSSEX COAST 1 OCT 198_’ and I am guessing it’s early eighties.

My ‘course’ and the fact that Ida thinks I might have been living in London are both confusing – I cannot recall the course and I have never lived in London!

Ida and I remain intermittently in touch but we have not met for many years.

 

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With love from Giza, Egypt (1983)

with-love-from-cairo

Hi Hilary (Coochi coo) Beast on the front gave us a sore arse change of writing – my (Rob’s) from lying on the floor of the Sultan Assmet mosque in Cairo, discussing Christ’s relationship to Allah (love I suppose). Were at the pyramids yesterday – impressive! Climbed one of them – what a fantastic view. Cairo is horrible & smelly – but good in the dingy bars. Made it thro. customs ok & black market rife. I’m back seeing as Rob can’t spell. Cairo is too fucking expensive, hopefully Luxor and Aswan will be better. hope everything is okay. c u soon love Andrew  Yeh! c u when I get back, lots of love Rob xx

Written by two people this card requires careful reading in order to comprehend the stream of thoughts that are pouring forth from both! In the early 80’s Cairo was still quite an exotic place to visit, popular with travellers – Rob and Andrew seem to be immersing themselves in the culture.

Sadly, recent events have impacted on tourism in Egypt.

The post mark date 8.8.83 is clearly visible.

I met Rob and Andrew at 6th form college – we were all in the same A’ level maths group for two years and in all my memories of those lessons there is laughter.  Somehow, the teacher, Mrs Horner, demonstrating calculus from first principles, combined with the personalities in the group resulted in endless fun filled afternoons! I have lost touch with Rob…

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with love from Ft Lauderdale, Florida (1985)

With love from Fort Lauderdale

12 September 1985 Dear Si & Hilary. Hello from the States! We arrived here the 10th & leave the 15th (Hurricanes permitting!) Coming back home after that and my ship goes into refit in Devonport. Thanks for keeping in touch back home…. Sheila says she heard from you recently. Hope all is well with the new home. Look forward to seeing you sometime soon. Take care, best wishes Gra xx

This card is helpfully dated by the writer; the date on Ft Lauderdale postmark is not clear. The 11 cent stamp features Alden Partridge and is another from the Great Americans series.

Gra is obviously enjoying some down time in Fort Lauderdale while his ship is in the nearby Port Everglades.

Gra and Simon (my husband) were friends through junior and senior school. As an officer in the Royal Navy he sent us postcards from all over the world and was also Best Man at our wedding. We got together with him and his family from time to time. A few years ago Gra made some life choices that were hard to understand and accept, so the friendship has drifted and we are no longer in touch.

 

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with love from Little Venice, London (2016)

With love from Waterside Cafe London

Mothers’ Day 2016 Hello Hilary, I’m meeting long lost Uni friends last seen 30 yrs ago – we’re all mothers but decided to do something for ourselves on mothers’ day this year. I’ve sniffed out some water that I’ve never found before in London – feel more at home on a barge than the city – there are even seagulls here! Sally x

Little Venice is a picturesque area of North London near Paddington station, where Sally and her friends are having a long overdue catch up.

Although this card was apparently written in London on mothers’ day (6th March 2016), the postmark, ’10-03-2016 Dorset & S.W. Hants’, indicates that it was posted several days later.

The card carries a first class stamp, which is purple instead of the usual red. The purple stamps are being issued for one year to commemorate the record breaking reign of HRH Queen Elizabeth II – on 9th September 2015 Queen Elizabeth became the longest reigning monarch in British history.

Sally and I met in the school playground about 20 years ago.  We became friends as a result of the friendships between our daughters and, although we no longer wait in the playground, we still see each other regularly; as do the girls 🙂

 

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with love from Stratford-upon-Avon (1976)

With love from Stratford-Upon-Avon 1976

Dear Hilary, I hope you are well – I am. We have just got back from the Cotswolds having had a super time. We went to Stratford theatre and saw one of Shakespeare’s plays called ‘The Winter’s Tale’. It was good. Enjoy yourself love Ida x

Post marked ‘Brighton & Hove East Sussex 23 Aug 1976’ this card was obviously posted after Ida’s return from Stratford-upon-Avon, as indicated in the text, which again is a quick ‘keep in touch’ status update.

The other post mark reads ‘Enjoy a day at Brighton Races August 3, 4, 5, 18, 19, 24’

The card carries a 6½p stamp; the cost for a small post card in 1976

 

This is another ‘school summer holiday’ card from from Ida, updating me on her travels; although the notes are always brief, I received a great many of them over the years.  I have now emailed the blog link to Ida, so I am hoping she is ok with it and that we can meet up again at some point.

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