Postcards From Yesteryear

The highlight of my second trip to Whitney, a little Village adjunct to Oxford, David Cameron's consituancy, was the beautiful, inspiring and infinitely kind company of my friend Ms Patty Dohle, it was also the curious litte narrative we happed upon in an Oxfam shop.

Above is the back of a postcard whach had ST-SAVIN-sur-GARTEMPE on the front. It was found amongst a lot of other dull holiday postcards, some written on and sent, some others not. But what made me buy it was what was written on it:

29/7/96

I wonder if you know this church? I'm sitting on the warm and breezy terrace here (7.0pm) looking on to a lovely hillside over the valley (where the motorway and railway lie hidden by a row of limes and hazels). The countryside round here you know - is deeply satisfying in its expansiveness + fertility - many sunflowers now. I do hope very much that Susi's face and teeth are back to normal. Love, F.

Now after getting a good laugh with its bizzarest of final lines, is not the only thing going on here. Another, less self-aware missive:

15.1.94

Dear Grum,
Mum and I are having a day out in Oxford because Dad and Fiona have gone shooting. Hope you liked my photo. I would love to have gone to the ice-show with you. Hope it was good. We went to Maxwells for lunch. Hope the company wasn't too painful ! (at the ice-show) hope to see you soon Love Rachel - Mum.

That one has a picture of an angel intwined round a large letter 'E'. Back below:

Now what intrigues me as in these small little postcards, whole swathes of people's existances are given away. I can imagine F and Rachel (probably a little girl when written, now 16 years older!) - yes the passage of time is another thing. What's gone on since.

So yes two things; must write to these people with photocopies of such postcards with either an explanation or clues as to follow on this project....

...and secondly, to start going to more second hand bookshops/Oxfam's where there are old postcards or letters with written stuff on them.

I got this one to send to an unliked acquantance:

Have Nightmares Kinder.

NEXT WEEK: A dolphin that looks like Simon Weston.