Postcard arrives at Shropshire school 66 years after it was sent

Head teacher Diane Browne has appealed for help to trace the intended recipient of the postcard, believed to have been sent in 1957

A postcard addressed to a student at a boarding school has arrived 66 years after it was sent.

Staff at Adcote School, in Shropshire, were amazed when among the morning post was curious correspondence addressed to a Miss D Kerr from her mother.

Stamps on the postcard suggest the original postage date as being 1957.

Adcote head teacher Diane Browne said she thought she had received a vintage-style postcard but soon realised she had a minor mystery on her hands.

"My first reaction on seeing the postcard was complete disorientation," she said.

"When it dawned on me what had actually happened, I was in complete shock."

While the modern postmark on the card is dated 21 April 2023, a pre-decimal blue 1d stamp appears with a green 1.5d stamp. Each depicted Queen Elizabeth II and was issued, the school said, after her Coronation in 1953.

There was, the school added, also an old postmark, suggesting the card had entered the postal system previously, although the date was proving too hard to read.

But going by the type of stamps used, and a price hike in late 1957, the suspected postage date was either June or July of that year, according to the school.

Just what happened after that is unclear.

Ms Browne praised "Royal Mail's conscientious attitude" and wondered whether a worker found the card "possibly when a piece of furniture was moved, and instead of tossing it aside, they have honoured the commitment to deliver it, although a little later than expected".

But there is still detective work to be done to determine the identity of the intended recipient.

The blue 1d and green 1.5d pre-decimal stamps had been issued in the 1950s

In the message, there is a description of how Miss Kerr's father had been fishing while on a trip away and "had no luck".

The front of the postcard depicts a picture of Penhelig Harbour, in the village of Aberdyfi (Aberdovey), in Gwynedd, Wales.

A search of admission registers at the all-girls school found that Miss D Kerr may be Denise Bronwen Kerr, who attended between 1957 and 1962.

Staff have appealed for help to trace her. She is thought to be 78, with a married surname of Miles.

The front of the postcard shows a picture of Penhelig Harbour, in the Welsh village of Aberdovey

"We would love to know who Miss D Kerr is, and unite her with the postcard sent by her mum, all those years ago," Ms Browne said.

"If that postcard had been sent by my mum or dad, I would be thrilled to receive it, even after all this time."