Mysterious 1903 postcard with cryptic message resurfaces, sparking intrigue and appeal for historical information.
Mysterious 1903 postcard with cryptic message resurfaces, sparking intrigue and appeal for historical information.
Staff at Swansea Building Society’s Craddock Street branch were ‘astonished’ by the mysterious vintage card among their regular mail on August 16.
The postcard, dated 3 August 1903, is addressed to a Miss Lydia Davies, who likely resided at what is now the Society’s Head Office.
Henry Darby, Marketing and Communications Officer at Swansea Building Society, said: “It’s wild, actually; a little bit spooky.
“It turned up completely out of the blue on Friday.
“The postman came to the door as normal with lots of letters regarding mortgages and savings, and as one of the managers was sorting through it, this postcard dropped onto the table – no envelope, no note, just as it was.”
The front of the postcard, adorned with a 1903 King Edward VII stamp, features a wintry scene depicting a stag standing over a frozen tree stump, with snowy mountains and a starry sky in the background.
The postcard contains a cryptic message that reads: “Dear L.
“I could not, it was impossible to get the pair of these. I am so sorry, but I hope you are enjoying yourself at home.
“I have got now about 10 (unreadable) pocket money not counting the train fare so I’m doing alright.”
The note ends with a request to ‘Remember me to Miss Gilbert + John with love to all from (unreadable).’
The postcard appears to have been sent from Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, and seems to reference something both the sender and recipient were aware of but chose not to elaborate on in writing.
It’s sudden reappearance after more than a century has prompted the Society to launch an appeal on social media for anyone with information about Miss Lydia Davies or the postcard’s history.
Henry explained the address is ‘correct’ – though 121 years behind schedule.
He added: “The address is correct – we are still 11 (and 12) Cradock Street – but it’s 121 years later than expected.
“The stamp is King Edward, who was king from 1901 until 1910, and you could tell right away from the handwriting and the language that it was very much of the time.
“We know it’s quite a long time ago, but it would be fascinating to uncover what life was like on Cradock Street 121 years ago.
“The Society itself was established 20 years after the postcard was sent.
“From what we can gather from the archives, this area was once home to traditional houses that were later bombed, and our office is a rebuild, but the address has remained the same.”
The area of Cradock Street has a rich history. Opposite the Society’s office, the Albert Hall was open as early as the 1860s and hosted performances by the likes of Oscar Wilde. It is possible that over 120 years ago Lydia was walking across the road to see those performers.
A Royal Mail spokeswoman has commented on the postcard’s unexpected delivery and said: “It is likely that this postcard was put back into our system rather than being lost in the post for over a century.
“When an item is in our system, we are under obligation to deliver it to the correct address.”
Swansea Building Society is appealing to the public to help solve this mystery. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Society via their social media channels.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
