Oh no! Get back! It's another Postcard attack!

[Karmann Ghiaman]

But what I want to know is: Has anybody actually bought any yarn in Dunster since, what? 1778 or something? 

 

I'm nipping back across that bridge to

 

 

The bastard waited till there wasn't much traffic, but did include blue 'Gaz', 'Leominster 40', 'Toilets' and 'Llangurig 9' signs, double yellow lines and some decent stuff parked on the right. Sadly no 'Walls', 'Lyons Maid', AA or RAC notices, but you can't have everything in one card, can you?

 

Where David Cameron, Jeremy Clarkson and other shiny fat wealthy tossers live:

 

 

The Lodge, Chipping Campden. (Not in the Lodge, but probably in an enormous, well-guarded house just beyond it.)

 

Another leafy hangout of the Very Rich:

 

 

Sailing. Sailing. The Bridge and The Market Place they have helpfully explained.

 

I am guessing that this is in the Lake District as it was printed in Ambleside:

 

 

Silverdale Village. It's also a bit out of focus, but I think we get something approaching the Lyons Maid sign here, or does it just say 'Off Licence'? On holiday in 1972 I would probably have persuaded my parents to go in and see if they had any Strawberry Mivvies. Well-polished new Cortina Mk. 1, and is that a Rover 2000 in the foreground? Experts will enlighten us and work out exact year.

 

And one from Old Amsterdam on a surprisingly rain-free day:

 

 

Below is Marmoutier (Bas-Rhin), but despite the superb romanesque facade of the Abbey we will be admiring the perfect Frogshite that has so fortuitously been immortalised here:

 

 

If you look carefully just to the left of the main entrance I believe they have made a very crude attempt to paint out one unfortunate piece of crud (possibly because it was a Fiat?) Or is it a ghost?

 

Coming up: Meet the locals...

[mouseflakes]

^ I think it's one of those 'chameleon' cars. Often the 'other car' in those accidents where someone 'just didn't see them'.

[AlabamaShrimp]

We're any of these cards sent?

[richardthestag]

great thread, I used to collect postcards as a lad and had shoeboxes full of the damn things.

 

I was a nosey bastard too 

 

wonder what happened to them all.

[Karmann Ghiaman]

Most of this Oxfam lot don't seem to have been sent. I'm guessing that the Dymo family just filed them away. But fear not, if they have been sent I always include the message however banal. 

 

We will now take a closer look at some of the delightful people you might be lucky enough to encounter if you go to these postcard places:

 

 

Lisbon: Typical Alfama view. Ew... (Spot Tweety-Pie).

 

Not to be outdone, Bonny Scotland gives us this lonely kilted figure to ensure that nobody ever wants to go anywhere near

 

 

Clann Donnachhaidh Museum, Bruar Falls, Blair Atholl, Inverness. But if it really is pouring you can go inside and enjoy an afternoon with all this:

 

 

I admit that the one below is not really a postcard, but an ad from a catalogue found at Mother's house when I was throwing out a few binloads of them:

 

 

Catalogues! They're the Internet of the Elderly...

 

 

It would be hard to conceive of an image more likely to put you off ever wanting to venture within a thousand miles of the place.

 

Thought this might be the Museum man when he was a lad:

 

 

Dear Phoebe & Jack

We are here for the day. It is a lovely day, hope you enjoyed your holidays We got here for lunch so we have just enjoyed a 4 course lunch we do not feel like walking

 see you sometime

 sincere cousins [?] Wilf &

             Alice

 

This was sent in the 1950s and Phoebe will have been a venerable Victorian lady left over from an earlier age. Who would ever have thought that such a name would make a comeback in the late 20th Century? But it has. Of course what you want to find on a card from Gretna Green is:

 

Hey Mum & 'Dad',

 In case you hadn't noticed I was gone, Jack & me eloped & we just got hitched here. Don't worry, not up the duff, but simply couldn't stand spending the rest of my life in that shitty, narrow-minded, hypocritical little town you call home. Next postcard will be from Vegas where we're off to blow the Christmas Club cash Jack 'borrowed'. Byeee!

 In yer face,

      Little Phoebe

(PS: I am changing my name to Kerry-Lee-Ann)

 

We have seen Welshwomen here before too, oh yes:

 

 

"I'm off down to Dunster to get some more yarn, Blodwen."

 

And their Grandad doing a pretty poor imitation of a clam, if I may make so bold:

 

 

Another Portuguese fresh salmonella salesman:

 

 

And from NATAL : South Africa - Suid Afrika

 

 

A Zulu woman and child, adorned in the colourful bead-work of this race, carry the stick symbols of a tribal dance.

 

Yeah.

 

 

[Spottedlaurel]

A selection there that's enjoyable and mildly disturbing.

 

I need a break, I'm off to this place that has* a more violently brown and orange colour scheme then even this forum:

 

Miller Howe Hotel, Windermere old postcard (1) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Miller Howe Hotel, Windermere old postcard (2) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Miller Howe Hotel, Windermere old postcard (3) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Miller Howe Hotel, WIndermere old postcard (4) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Sadly all four cards seem to have been kept as souvenirs and never sent. I'd like to know what people who stayed here wrote about (probably something like "Rained again today but had a lovely chat with fellow Round Table members in the Lounge").

 

*I should say had. This place still operates as a hotel but its decor and furnishings have sadly been updated.

 

Continuing the theme of tall things:

 

St Leonards Parish Church old postcard 1960s/70s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I wonder what was so offensive about the road that it justified such hopeless retouching?

 

Bruges Belfort old postcard 1970s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Mad. It's like three entirely different towers plonked on top of one another. Apparently the area outside it has now been pedestrianised, which means future generations will be unable to have the equivalent card showing a car park full of Laguna IIs, Dacias etc. Luckily such short-sighted planning hadn't been considered in the 1970s, so we are treated to a fine display of automotive exotica.

 

Settle, North Yorkshire old postcard mid-late 1980s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Cavalier SRi just waiting to be TWOCed. I have more to come from Settle.

[Karmann Ghiaman]

Very worried about the quality Staffordshire figures strewn all over the Miller Howe Hotel. I should imagine that the elderly Round Table folk wandering around those overpowering rooms frequently smashed the unfortunate figures left on coffee tables like that! As for the Belgian tower, isn't that the one he jumped off [spoiler alert] in 'In Bruges'? 

 

Hope that Spottedlaurel and others will post more, but here's my last few for now...

 

Useful starter contribution that the Gerries left for the Jersey Motor Museum:

 

 

Unic taxicab at Beaulieu:

 

Phwoar, might make the Cars & Girls thread? She's showing a lot of hot ankle there.

 

Feeble attempt at *irony* by either the French, or just desperate Brit car salesmen:

 

 

Not forgetting our caravanning friends:

 

Luxury Caravan, Holimarine, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset. (Lager ad subliminal).

 

And finally it's the Model Village Section:

 

 

The one above is/was at Great Yarmouth (Itsy-witsy Yarmouth? That's what the Renault ad men would *wittily* call it).

 

And here's the

 

 

One or two pieces of model shite have been included! 

 

 

[carlo]

Where David Cameron, Jeremy Clarkson and other shiny fat wealthy tossers live:

 

 

 

 

 

Not a fan then, KG?

[chaseracer]

Chipping Norton, shirley...?   

 

Chipping Campden is rather nice.  Never been to Chipping Sodbury, but I feel a 'rude name road trip' coming on.  Mr 7 - prepare the Sideboard!

[LC Torana]

I've always wanted to Spoonerize that to Sodding Chipbury.

[mercrocker]

I remember it being a winner in a "belch the name of an English town contest" one night at Scout camp....

[Spottedlaurel]

So, more as promised from Settle:

 

Settle Market Place and Castleberg old postcard, early 1980s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Settle Market Place and The Shambles old postcard early 1980s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

A fairly modest effort from the photographer here, they must have walked all of 20 feet and turned through a few degrees to get these two shots. But we can be thankful as it captures the car park in all its glory - plenty of BL stuff, Renaults, Celeste, Sunny Coupe, Cabstar and a Rover P5 with livestock trailer.

 

As suggested by the signpost, moving onto Skipton:

 

High Street, Skipton old postcard mid-late 1970s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Skipton old postcard early 1980s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

That couple walking along the road in the top card seem determined to avoid the crass consumerism of the market despite the risk of getting run over by an HC Viva. The second card just makes me recall the days when people drove normal cars.

 

Some others from up that way:

 

Harrogate old postcard, mid 1970s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I do hope someone still has that fantastically futuristic Grace & Hardy lettering somewhere.

 

Leyburn, Yorkshire Dales postcard early 1980s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Mazda 818, Toyota Corona hatchback and Honda Accord all in the same photo?! Looks to be an OSF meet going on too.

 

Reeth,  Swaledale old postcard early 1980s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Something for everyone here. I'd like to think the beige Accord is the same car (it has happened with an Avenger in a couple of other cards I have, presumably belonging to the photographer).

 

Woburn Wild Animal Kingdom old postcard 1970s by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

And finally, animals. Those monkeys probably pilfered enough bits that they could set up an autojumble stall. Zebra looks like it's about to drop one on the bonnet of that 'bathtub' Taunus.

 

Any suggestions as to where next? Wales, East Anglia and the Isle of Wight all seem to feature heavily in my acquisitions.

[Karmann Ghiaman]

Genius SL. Those Settle shots are 'amazin'', and the urinating zebra, 20 baboons & assorted shite takes the postcard biscuit! 

[Vin]

This seems to be the best place to put it. A postcard I've just been given, of a street in my local town, Brigg...

 

 

What I find bemusing, is who at the time thought a non-descript street (most of which now is pedestrianised) with a primered Simca 1100, Mini pick-up and Opel Kadett parked outside Brian's DIY (Still going, I was in there this morning buying bolts) was worthy postcard material...

 

I'm glad they did though...