This card is postmarked 11.30 am on August 24th 1909.
Its addressed to Miss B Haines
72 Woodhays (Woodheyes) Road, Neadsen (presumably Neasden?) N.W.
Message reads:
Dear Bertha,
I am very sorry I did not see you Saturday night. I want to tell you something may i write a letter?
Yours loving Joy
In an unusual twist, the sender has also added her address at the top of the card which reads
Emsleigh Villa, Elmesligh Drive, Leigh on Sea. I have looked on 1911census.com but there is no-one there called Joy or Joyce at the same address just 2 years after this was posted.
Bertha was 17 at the time as i have found her on 1911 census aged 19. She is a dressmakers assistant, born in Hull, Yorkshire and living with her parents Frederick & Emily Haines.
Perhaps she wanted to keep it a secret, or maybe receive a response back from this person. In any case, it's a pleasant mystery for us to wonder about, right!
ReplyDeleteYou may be right karen, thank you so much for visiting
DeleteIt sure does make a great story! I wonder if she was staying at a hotel or something and that was the return address that she used?
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Kathy, i never thought that it might be a hotel or guest house, thanks for that and for visiting my blog.
DeleteOh how I hate messages like that. Poor Bertha had to wait and wait for that letter wondering like crazy what joy was going to divulge. I wonder how long she had to wait until she got the letter. You couldn't get away with that today. You'd just grab your iPhone and call Joy up and demand to know her "secret".
ReplyDeleteNancy
Youre right there, we dont need patience so much these days with communication do we. I still long for a hand written letter or card though occasionally over modern texts and emails. Thanks for visiting.
DeleteWho has ever heard of seeking permission to send a letter? Did Joy also ask permission to send a postcard? Cut to the chase, Joy!
ReplyDeleteIts hard to imagine communication being that slow nowadays isnt it. Thanks so much for stopping by to comment
DeleteIntriguing! Strange request, why didn't she just go ahead and write?
ReplyDeleteYes, makes you wonder dosent it. Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting.
DeleteIt is a strange thing to request to write a letter. Postcard is quite lovely, too bad we will never know.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the air of mystery that it leaves us with though, thank you for visiting my blog.
DeletePerhaps Joy had something intimate to disclose and was worried that Bertha's parents would find out about it. This may have been her subtle way of asking if Mum and Dad opened Bertha's letters. On the other hand she may just have been tantalizing her friend to see what her response was.
ReplyDeleteHey that is a thought isn't it, i hadnt considered that angle. Id love to find Joy and maybe see what happened to her.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and leaving me a comment.
I have twin 17 year-old daughters - that message would translate well to a text message! Thanks for sharing the postcard. Interesting to see the man in the row boat waiting patiently for the photographer to finish whatever it is he is doing so he can row him back to the other side.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have a son of 19 and can identify with that. I also love the way that everyone sees something different in the photo or the message, it helps me to be a better detective when researching my other cards.
ReplyDeletethanks for visiting Brett
It almost looks like she started to tell her on the postcard and then crossed it out.
ReplyDeleteYoure right it does, thanks for visiting and leaving me a comment
DeleteA perfect card to inspire a story. I like Little Nell's theory, perhaps parental permission was required before two young ladies could correspond.
ReplyDeleteHi Mike, Yes I guess they may have had to do that. Times were so different back then eh.
DeleteThanks for dropping by its very much appreciated
Keep looking and you will probably find Joy in the census at some point. Interesting message on the postcard - with today's technology Bertha would know almost instantly want Joy wanted to share. What different times we live in today compared to 1909!
ReplyDeleteIts a pity i cant search for Joy as i dont have a surname and as someone else said she may have been staying in Leigh on Sea for a holiday so heaven knows where she lived. I only hope that someone may read this who is a relative of either girl.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting.