He's been collecting postcards since 1973 and cannot put a number on how many he has. But Dennis Cross is not thinking of bringing a halt to his collecting yet.

He was hooked as soon as he bought his first postcard in a bookshop in Felixstowe and now his amazing collection mainly consists of buildings, views and areas of interest from Diss and surrounding villages including Burston, Winfarthing, Hoxne and Needham.

The eye-catching black and white images date back to the early 1900s and are a reminder of the times gone by and rural life.

Mr Cross, of Uplands Way, Diss, who is also a local historian, said: 'I'm very interested in seeing something I've never seen before.'

There are images of horse and carts travelling up Victoria Road in Diss and everyday life in Dickleburgh.

And the 65-year-old, who has been a member of the Norfolk Postcard Club since the late 1970s, said the messages on the back are also interesting.

He said: 'In the old days a chap would write a message to his lady back to front so the postman could not read it. I've got somewhere if you hold them up to a mirror you can read it.'

A carpenter for 30 years, Mr Cross has written a couple of books which feature his postcards. Now he has retired he is hoping to produce a display of his postcards or write another book.