A POSTMAN has delivered a postcard almost fifty years after it was originally sent.
The postie, known only as Mr Miller, took to Reddit on Tuesday to reveal how he delivered the postcard 46 years after it was sent to the recipient named John.
The postcard was sent to John from someone known as Dorian who had been visiting Brownsea Island in Dorset in 1975.
Dorian had promised to bring a stick of rock back for John following his trip.
But the postcard never arrived to John in Roade, Northampstonshire – up until this week.
Postman Mr Miller apologised to John for the late mail after managing to finally deliver it to the address almost 50 years later.
The postie shared images of the old postcard onto Reddit on Tuesday, writing: “Sorry it took me 46 years to deliver your postcard, Dorian. Hope John got his rock stick.”
In the postcard, which is dated 1975, the front has a playful scene between a police woman and a barrel-bellied gentleman with a bit of quick wordplay.
The postcard was part of the “Comic” series by Bamforth & Co Ltd and was noted as number 18.
The handwritten message inside reads: “To John, weather’s nice.
“Going to Brownsea Island tomorrow.
“I’ll bring you a stick of rock.
“See you soon, Dorian.”
Speaking today, Mr Miller said: “It was just sitting on top of my desk alongside the rest of the mail.
“I’m afraid that the postage sticker being added means that it probably got lost shortly after it arrived and was never seen again until now.
“The current occupants do have the same surname as the addressee of the postcard but unfortunately they weren’t home so I could not see their reaction to this 46-year-old postcard.”
Reddit users were quick to share their thoughts about the postcard with one explaining how the postcard might have been lost.
PrincessBouncy said: “We were working at a delivery office as they were changing the sorting frames for new ones.
“Basically, a lot of pigeon holes bolted to a table, when the top and bottom were unbolted, we found a postcard that had slipped inside 26 years before.
“I asked if they tell the local paper or go round to explain but apparently when something like this turns up, they just deliver it regardless of how late it is.”
ArcadiaRivea said: “Ah I’m just curious to know if the person ever got their postcard.”
Gelertthehound added: “I love old postcards. I found one once, from the 1920s that had been sent from one side of the Bristol Channel to the other. That made me laugh.”
The Royal Mail have also been baffled by the ancient postcard.
A Royal Mail spokesperson today said: “It is difficult to speculate what may have happened to this item of mail, but it is likely that it was put back into the postal system by someone recently, rather than it being lost or stuck somewhere.
“Royal Mail regularly checks all its delivery offices and clears its processing machines daily.
“Once an item is in the postal system then it will be delivered to the address on the card.”
Seaside holidays to places like Dorset were massively popular in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 70s as places such as Butlins sprung up.
Millions of families would rush to go to the coast when summer holidays arrived.
