Now, I know that it is a bit of a tall order to bestow the title of historic on this picture postcard from our Ben and Lyndsey, but in all sorts of ways it is a bit historical.
Firstly, because it is a picture postcard, sent from a holiday in the sun, and like many such cards it arrived after Ben and Lyndsey got home.
Most of us don’t send cards like this anymore.
Instead it is the almost instant communication of a holiday picture sent via the mobile, which is guaranteed to arrive and arrive soon after it was taken.
But picture postcards as we know were once the chosen method of sending a quick message, from greetings to the mundane announcement of when and where to meet up.
And because there were several collections and deliveries in a day, it was possible to send a message first thing to arrange that meet up later in the afternoon.
All of which makes its arrival just that bit special, and much appreciated by someone who has yet to climb out of the last century.
It is also historic, because until the revolution in 1989, and the end of the government of Enver Hoxha, few people would have visited Albania, and the stash of picture postcards would have been limited to those celebrating tractor factories, the Communist Party leadership and some very old and much touched up images of “Albanian beauty spots”.
I still remember my friend Glyn, telling me that there was a competition run by someone who would offer up a prize, if you could demonstrate you had swum from Greece to Albania by furnishing some Albanian currency.
But Glyn had spent time there in the late 60s working on a railway as a holiday.
By contrast Ben and Lyndsey slipped over for the day from their Greek holiday resort, and the rest as they say is a historic postcard.
Leaving me just to include one of my favourite little bits of history delivered through a collection of bubble gum cards, issued in the 1950s which I collected avidly.
They were the Flags of the World* and came in waxed envelopes with a thin sheet of pink bubble gum.
For weeks after you purchased the cards, they retained that faint sweet smell.
The front contained the country’s national flag and on the back were facts like the Capital city, the population. Type of government, money unit and language.
Nor was that all because assuming that one day you might visit the Soviet Union. Israel or Italy there was the section How They Say.
This gave you four words which were seldom the same from card to card and offered up the translation.
And that is it, except to thank Ben and Lyndsey for the card along with a special thanks to Flags of the World who market the original series and gave me permission to use their pictures.
Location; Parku Kombëtar I Butrinitit, Sarandë, Albania, The National Park of Butrint, Sarandë, Albania
Pictures; the postcard, Albania, 2019 and the Albania flag circa 1955, courtesy of Flags of the World, http://www.deanscards.com/c/716/1956-Topps-Flags-of-the-World
* Flags of the World, http://www.deanscards.com/c/716/1956-Topps-Flags-of-the-World
 |
| Albania, 2019 |
Most of us don’t send cards like this anymore.
Instead it is the almost instant communication of a holiday picture sent via the mobile, which is guaranteed to arrive and arrive soon after it was taken.
But picture postcards as we know were once the chosen method of sending a quick message, from greetings to the mundane announcement of when and where to meet up.
And because there were several collections and deliveries in a day, it was possible to send a message first thing to arrange that meet up later in the afternoon.
All of which makes its arrival just that bit special, and much appreciated by someone who has yet to climb out of the last century.
 |
| Albania, circa 19555 |
I still remember my friend Glyn, telling me that there was a competition run by someone who would offer up a prize, if you could demonstrate you had swum from Greece to Albania by furnishing some Albanian currency.
But Glyn had spent time there in the late 60s working on a railway as a holiday.
By contrast Ben and Lyndsey slipped over for the day from their Greek holiday resort, and the rest as they say is a historic postcard.
Leaving me just to include one of my favourite little bits of history delivered through a collection of bubble gum cards, issued in the 1950s which I collected avidly.
They were the Flags of the World* and came in waxed envelopes with a thin sheet of pink bubble gum.
 |
| Albania, 1955 |
The front contained the country’s national flag and on the back were facts like the Capital city, the population. Type of government, money unit and language.
Nor was that all because assuming that one day you might visit the Soviet Union. Israel or Italy there was the section How They Say.
This gave you four words which were seldom the same from card to card and offered up the translation.
And that is it, except to thank Ben and Lyndsey for the card along with a special thanks to Flags of the World who market the original series and gave me permission to use their pictures.
Location; Parku Kombëtar I Butrinitit, Sarandë, Albania, The National Park of Butrint, Sarandë, Albania
Pictures; the postcard, Albania, 2019 and the Albania flag circa 1955, courtesy of Flags of the World, http://www.deanscards.com/c/716/1956-Topps-Flags-of-the-World
* Flags of the World, http://www.deanscards.com/c/716/1956-Topps-Flags-of-the-World
I too have my collection of these "Flags of the World" amongst my treasured possessions.
ReplyDeleteAlas Tony I lost all mine a long time ago
ReplyDelete