Happy New Year to all our readers. After some disruptions with various things last year, one of my New Year resolutions is to get back to doing a monthly news. Also coming up this year, we’re hoping to get many more cards on the website, facilitated by the unexpected news that Microsoft have trebled our capacity. I’m concentrating on English topos for now, but regional readers can look forward to Scotland, Wales and Ireland starting in the Summer…. Then we might get round to some subject cards.

In modern cards I’ve come across a new ‘credit crunch’ category—postcards inviting valued customers to sales. My sister in London got one from a world famous department store; mine was from a more modest local place. After seeing thousands of people clutching bargains on the news, I went along optimistically. At five minutes to opening time there were just six of us in the queue. Where were the crowds? And the TV cameras? Probably down south at the other place. More importantly, where were the bargains? The top I’d earmarked beforehand was still the same price, so no joy there, but an extra warm jumper might be useful this weather, I thought. However, those on offer could easily slip over the armchair as well as me! I came away with nothing—which some husbands might regard as a great success!

This part of Up North is going digital this year so, when our 20 year old TV packed in, we bought a digital TV and have been finding our way round Freeview channels—settling mainly on vintage episodes of Poirot—with its wonderful Art Deco sets. In one episode his excuse for not attending a social function was:

“I can’t possibly go…. I need to arrange my stamp collection in order of size.”

Mmm—I think I need to practice saying that with more conviction!

Postcard of the Month

“A Truckful of Luck

For You”

in 2009