A letter that was scheduled to reach its recipient 100 years ago has now been delivered. The letter was initially sent in 1916 to the correct location in south London’s Hamlet Road. After a century, Glen, the home’s owner, got the letter, but recently gave it to the local historical society so that more study could be done.
Glen eventually said to CNN, ‘We noticed that it said ‘2016’ on it. So, we mistook it for 2016.’ He stated that he thought it couldn’t have been 2016 because he noted that the stamp was of a King and not a Queen.
The envelope has a 1 Pence stamp bearing the head of King George V, which indicates that the letter was sent during the middle of the first world war.
Glen, 27, who lives with his girlfriend, said that once they realised that the letter is old, they felt it was okay to open it. Though, as per the Postal Services 2000, it’s a crime to open mail not addressed to you. But Glen said that he can only apologise if he has committed a crime.
He handed the letter over to a local magazine, Norwood Review. Editor of the magazine, Stephen Oxford, said, ‘As a local historian, I am amazed and delighted to have the details of the letter passed to me.’
Oxford said that the letter was addressed to ‘my dear katie.’ He added that the letter was written by Christabel Mennel, daughter of tea merchant Henry Tuke Mennel, while her family was on bath in Western England, where Mennel writes, ‘I’ve been most miserable here with a very heavy cold.’
The magazine is currently producing a full report on the letter. Yet it’s still a mystery as to how it arrived at Glen’s residence.
Post Your Comments