Arabian Weekly Staff
A postcard sent over a century ago has been delivered to a Welsh building society, sparking intrigue and a search for the postcard’s original recipient. Staff at the Swansea Building Society were taken aback when a postcard, bearing a King Edward VII stamp and dated August 3, 1903, was found among their regular mail.
The postcard, addressed to a woman named Lydia Davies, emerged unexpectedly at the Cradock Street head office of the building society. The postcard’s arrival has raised questions about its journey and why it took 121 years to reach its destination.
The front of the postcard features a wintry scene, with a stag standing over a frozen tree stump, snowy mountains, and a starry sky. The message on the postcard is cryptic, expressing regret over not being able to obtain a pair of unspecified items, and ends with a note about pocket money and train fare. The sender remains unidentified, and the reasons for the postcard’s lengthy delay remain unclear.
This unusual delivery has prompted the Swansea Building Society to appeal to the public for any information about Lydia Davies or the history of the Cradock Street area during that time. The building society, which was established 20 years after the postcard was sent, believes that traditional houses once occupied the site before it was rebuilt following bombings in the area.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail speculated that the postcard was likely reintroduced into the postal system rather than being lost for over a century. Despite the mystery, the postcard’s arrival has provided a unique glimpse into life in early 20th-century Swansea.
The postcard’s arrival has generated significant local interest, with many curious to learn more about the lives of those who once lived on Cradock Street. The building society hopes that the public’s assistance will help uncover more details about this fascinating piece of history.
This incident is not only a reminder of the endurance of postal services but also of the stories that can unexpectedly re-emerge from the past, connecting generations in the most unusual ways.