The Lad has returned to University and it is likely to be some time before he is home again. In some ways I wonder if he is growing old and sensible as this time there have not been the usual phone calls that follow his departure, listing all the things he has forgotten with instructions to gather them together and take them down to Sheffield. He has a fairly well deserved reputation for being, shall we say, absent-minded, to such an extent that my good friend Chrissy recently bought me an old postcard with Alexander in mind. The front of the postcard has a somewhat uninspiring view of Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire. It is the message on the reverse which is the gem. It is a little unclear as it is written in pencil - here is what it says :
Dear Dad, Can you go to our house and get Jim's shorts from the chair in our room, his belt from the top drawer of the tall boy; and his boots from the shelf in the staircase and send them here by post, and if you need a 1/- stamp get an Olympia if you please. Love Lavinia.
To : Mr H Daykin, Wilcock Street, Windhill, Shipley, Yorks.
The "Olympia" would have been a one shilling commemorative stamp that marked the 1948 Olympic Games which were held in London. Maybe my own particular Lad has suddenly matured and no longer needs me to run around and find and transport all the things he has forgotten. Maybe - but I hope not.
Uninspiring though the view of Malham Tarn might be, I appreciate it too, because my ancestors were from Kirkby Malham - well, some of them were. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteHow cool, that she found a postcard from a different time that so reflected your own son's penchant for leaving things behind. "They" say (you know "They," who seem to know everything), that when someone leaves something behind they didn't really want to leave.... I can see why you wouldn't want things to change too much...
ReplyDeleteYou can only forgot so many times
ReplyDeleteBefore you remember all the rhymes
Err umm stuff of yours
But still forget the chores
Yes quite the uninspiring view
But still a great write up by you
Both my sons are always leaving phones, clothes, shoes all over the place at friends' houses.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that absent-mindedness runs in families. Does The Lad get it from you or the GLW?
ReplyDeleteSorry, what did you say Roy?
ReplyDeleteLOL! Great post Alan.
ReplyDeleteI love that old postcard.
Yes, my two have reached the age where they have taken most all of their adult possessions. Now they want to return and retrieve their childhood toys.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest lad just returned home from college for the summer. It's nice to have his sweet shaggy face at the manor again.
ReplyDeleteWith all that running around, the Olympia was quite appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fun to design stamps.That will surely be a calling in one of my lives.
ReplyDeleteCould you do an easy version of coins/money from your land from the almost beginning, which were dropped, which were combined?
-J
PS. Thanks for popping over with your wonderful commemorative comments.
My eldest is very good at leaving things behind. Unfortunately, Penrith is a little further from Derby than Sheffield is from Huddersfield, so the options for reuniting him and his forgotten stuff are rather more limited!
ReplyDeleteha this is a very endearing message...i do like the image though...
ReplyDeletedrop me your addy and i will send you a post card...
Our youngest always leaves something..we are now in the habit of checking all the rooms before she is actually out the door or down the road. Her children leave "stuff" on a regular basis too..so I run to the post with their treasures:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great card! Malham Tarn isn't that far from here.
ReplyDeleteAt least he only went to Sheffield. My son is in Leicester and my daughter is planning on Bristol or Sussex. That is a long way to take stuff!
Great postcard, how appropriate. I don't know why but when people visit us they are always leaving things. Next time I return stuff, I'll use an Olympia (just love the title of the post, it has a certain ring to it.)
ReplyDeleteJust came here to say something and forgot what I was going to say.
ReplyDeleteSome of our grands always forget something. Now if it is their phone they will soon be spinning around right back to get it. Anything else, just let it go. Loved the card and the stamp.
ReplyDeleteQMM
That's one of the best messages I've ever see on a postcard. I like Teresa's comment.
ReplyDelete