Tuesday 7 June 2011

FINDING OLD LETTERS

On my usual weird cruise through the charity shops for things that smell of precious foist, I bought an old copy of Little Women. I don't like the story particularly, I tried to read it when I was a kid, but having been raised on Dahl, was disappointed with it's lack of bitchy centipedes and square-footed witches. But I bought it anyway.

Inside was this letter:



Here's what it said. I have italicised the bits that made me snort out loud at the bus stop (SOLATBS is the new LOL) and some of my thoughts are in a beautiful shade of hot pink.


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Dear Jennifer
Hi Pots here! I'm sorry that this letter is so late but better late than never! I hope you're having a good holiday. Isn't it rotten about the pirate radios especially 270? If anyone bothers to bring their boxes back with that stupid 25 shilling insurance thing, or whatever it is, they'll have to listen to Caroline but it seems as if they're going to take that off soon.

Well how did your first Sunday go? Church parade and all that jazz. (aw man, this is gonna be dull.) I hope you've been as lucky with John as I have with Alan. No I'm not being sarcastic. At last I'm actually going with him, he's super. (Maybe not so dull you dirty cows!) I'll tell you all about it at school though. (Dammit.)

How do you like the new writing paper? It's air mail really but it's much nicer to write on than ordinary paper. (Stationary nerds! Just like me! Awww!)

This last week's been pretty boring (cos Alan's been on holiday.) Last Friday my Grandparents were acting as rabbit sitters for the next door neighbours (they do it quite often.) Well if it rains the rabbit has to be taken in (cos they put it in this pen thing when it's fine.) Well Grandpa went to the doctors in the afternoon and it started to rain and the rabbit was still out. Oh I'd better give you a description of the rabbit first. It's white with pink eyes and it's absolutely massive, the biggest rabbit I've ever seen. Well Nana daredn't go and pick the thing up, so here goes Pots!!! (I'm gonna shout that every time I have to do something brave. Well here goes LaTrisha!!!.) Every time I tried to get hold of it it ran away but after about 2-3 mins I managed to grab it by its ears. Well its cage is inside the garden hut and I was just inside the hut when the stupid creature started to squirm. (Please don't kill it Potts!) I nearly dropped the thing with fright, I didn't know what to do but somehow I managed to bung the thing in its cage and shut the door. It had scratched me on the arm and Nana was calling it all sorts of names. Well I'm sorry that wasn't very interesting but its about the most exciting thing that's happened to me this week.

At the moment I'm a greaseball I haven't washed my hair for nearly a fortnight. (explains why the rabbit hated you.) Anyway I'm going to do it tonight cos Alan's coming home tomorrow Hurrah! You know the dress I was making at school? Well I finished it but when I tried it on it was miles too big so I had to take in about 4 inches down the back. Its OK now though, except I've only worn it twice cos of the weather! I can't think of anything else to tell you so bye for now
Lots of love and slurps (WTF?!)
Pots xxx

P.S Have you been to Staithes yet to see all the French boys? I'd go if I was you! I bet Feather's having a  real time!!! 

P.P.S See you at school. Ugh!

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HOW GOOD?

The letter must be from the late 60's I reckon. The stuff at the beginning is about offshore radio being shut down by the UK government. Here's a quote from a helpful website about it, from a DJ from radio 270:

'With the Government making noises about legislating against the pirates, I could see that the writing was on the wall. I didn't want to hang around until the end because, even if the BBC did start a pop music station, there would be dozens of disc-jockeys all trying for very few jobs. So, when Manx Radio offered me a job in January 1967, I decided to take it. I flew to the Isle of Man and, while I was there, saw the boat that was used to tender Radio Caroline North. '

SHILLINGS stopped being made in 1966 in the UK, but circulated until 1990.

This letter made my day, gave me a little British history lesson and made me want to write letters.
There was nothing bad about it. Nothing. In fact I will probably increase my weird charity shop raids in the hope I find more.

FINDING OLD LETTERS: 10/10.

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