A century old message between cousins has finally reached its destination after a postcard was delivered to a home in Norwich 100 years after being posted.
Mystery surrounds the postcard addressed to Miss Eva Browne that was found amongst letters on the doormat of a house in Glebe Road.
Philip and Rosalie Nicholson, who live in Thurning, but have owned 72 Glebe Road for 30 years, said they were mystified by the surprise late delivery.
MORE: Rare Queen Victoria photos stored for years in cupboard in Norfolk home to be sold at auctionMr Nicholson said: “The card was with some other post on the doormat. Whether it was delivered by the postman or whether it had been put through our letterbox by someone else we really do not know.
“We have never lived in the house ourselves and it has always been occupied by students, but there was no-one occupying it when the postcard was delivered.”
Addressed to Miss Eva Browne, 72 Glebe Road, Unthank Road, Norwich, the postcard has a picture of St Paul’s Cathedral on one side and attached is a red one penny stamp with the head of King George V.
It bears the mark Maida Hill W9, a postal area near Kilburn in west London, and is post stamped 22 Jul 20.
In diagonal hand-writing the message appears to be about a planned visit of Evan Browne to see her cousin.
It reads Dear Evie, I am sorry I have not had time to answer your letter before, but if you take us as we are you will be quite welcome. Let me have a card to say when to expect you. Hope you will have nice weather. Loving cousin Florrie.
Mr Nicholson said: “It is a total mystery where it might have come from and very surprising to find it on our doormat almost exactly 100 years after it appears to have been posted.
MORE: New book explores what was lost when Anglia Square was built“We like to think that it has been sitting in a forgotten corner of the Norwich sorting office all this time just waiting to be discovered, or perhaps someone locally found it decided to post it through the letterbox?
“However we do hope that Miss Eva Browne managed to stay with her loving cousin Florrie despite not receiving the card!”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “It is difficult to speculate on what may have happened to this item of mail. It is likely that it was put back into the postal system by someone recently, rather than being lost or stuck somewhere in the network.
“Royal Mail regularly checks all its delivery offices and clears its processing machines daily. Once an item is in the postal system then it will be delivered to the address on the letter.”
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