December 2021

There is something special about a postal delivery.  When we were young, and even today, there was great excitement on your birthday whilst you waited for the postman to arrive. First you looked to see if you recognised the handwriting on the envelope and then you had the anticipation of opening the envelope to see what was inside – a card or even better a card with a ten bob note or even a pound note which meant you could dream of what you might buy with it!  It is special to know people are thinking of you, but a computerised card or email greeting today is not quite the same.

Do you recall the days leading up to Christmas when the postmen on their bicycles came along with their sack stuffed with cards? If you were lucky, you might even have received a letter from Santa in the post.  Working in all weathers, as they still do today, it was only as late as 1960 that they did not have to deliver on Christmas Day!

 

I wonder how many of us can remember when the Post Office issued their first festive stamps in response to requests from the general public. It was in 1966 that a competition was held for children to design the first stamps and there were over 5000 entrants. These are the winning designs:

 

Over the years there was a pattern of alternating religious and secular themes and these included details from religious paintings, the Christmas story,   angels, stained  glass windows and Christmas carols – you may remember ‘Good King Wenceslas’ and ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. 

 Here are some other Christmas stamp designs - how many do you remember?

All the volunteers of Crantock Memory Café wish you a Merry Christmas, and look forward to meeting up again, when safe to do so, in 2022.