My late father was an avid reader of The Farmer’s Weekly and once I could read well I enjoyed reading the articles too, gathering quite a lot of incidental information along the way! A column called The Hitching Post delighted the older me – tickled by the messages posted by people seeking companions. This column is still going strong: advertisements claim that ‘hundreds of couples have found love’ or companionship as a result of submitting their profile to the magazine. There was also a supplement aimed at women that was called The Homestead and in this was a page devoted to the interests of young children. This was called Aunt Betty’s Corner. I must have been around five or six when I became a member.
I was very interested in the Corner and it was there that I found addresses for pen-friends – which fed my abiding joy in writing letters. I also loved entering competitions when the opportunity arose. During my primary school years I won about three writing competitions – the prize was usually a postal order for about two shillings. This ‘success’ spurred me on to write ever since – though I don’t earn a cent from it, although ‘scribbling’ gives me a lot of joy.
I am not surprised at all that you won writing compositions. And in a way, blogging is a little like having pen pals.
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You are right, Laurie. We gradually get to know each other better!
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Down memory lane post – thanks for sharing!
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I found the membership certificate whilst tidying up the other day: it brought on a rush of memories I have had tucked away for decades.
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The silhouette of the children is charming also.
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It is, although one can tell that it hails from a long time ago 🙂
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I remember pen-pals being popular when I was in grade school. My sister signed up and was assigned a pen-pal in England. Those pale blue air letters went back and forth, until the day when the 13 yr old pen pals decided they should meet in person! Travel was not the way it is today, so no visit ensued, quashed by the parents realism, and the letters dwindled away. By the time I was old enough to have a penpal, the program had ended. Blogging is kind of like having pen-pals all over the world – you get to see what other people’s lives are like and to know a little bit about them and their interests. PS. Of course you would have won writing contests. Our talents shine through early!
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Thank you for this interesting contribution, Joni. I never see ‘pen-pal’ notices anymore. Perhaps the whole concept has dried up as different forms of communication have taken over.
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Love that member card, it harkens back to more innocent times. When we were kids, I think pen pal programs were seen as a way to promote literacy and cultural exchange. Nowadays, computers and the internet have changed the way we interact with the world, for better or worse.
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I think you are right about the promotion of pen pals. The membership card definitely harks back to more innocent times – and they were innocent times then. I imagine we were sheltered from much of what was going on in the world because we had to rely on newspapers and the radio to inform us.
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It sounds like a paper that had something for everyone. A nice look back, Anne.
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I am pleased you found it interesting, Belinda. Finding the membership certificate certainly unleashed a lot of interesting memories for me.
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That is so precious Anne! Thanks for sharing!
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I am glad you enjoyed this snippet from the past, Aletta.
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Ag, Anne. My dad read Landbou Weekblad nd I loved it too.
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They always had interesting, ‘real’ articles with no hype or drama – factual and informative.
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Wow, your mention of “postal orders” has triggered some childhood memories. And then I discovered the exciting world of International Reply Coupons when I got interested in listening to short-wave radio stations from far-off lands…
✨☀️🙏🕉️♾️☮️🙏☀️✨
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One cannot get postal orders here anymore; telegrammes have disappeared, and no-one uses cheques here either!
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Yeah, not sure when the last time I wrote a cheque was! They will be making all the street gas lamp lighters redundant next…
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Fond memories. Congratulations on the wins
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Thank you, Derrick. It is amazing how something like this can trigger a whole lot of memories.
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Indeed
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The days of receiving letters, those were the days…
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Bondels – you are still here! I am so pleased to hear from you, even though this isn’t a letter 🙂 🙂
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Yes Anne, I was silent for long. Hopefully that is over now and can I start writing too
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I am waiting for the end of your story …
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I will be working on that soon
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