If you would like to see the place where I found both Niamh's and Rebecca's letters, then do watch this little documentary about my search for messages in bottles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28904275
I always love finding messages in bottles from children. These next two letters which I will write about, were written by children (or should I say 1 child and 1 teenager!). They were both found this year. The first one is from a little girl called Niamh Woods from Sidcup. I found it along the Kent Coast near Egypt Bay, an evocative place with a past full of smuggling and prison hulks! You can just about make out the little note - which is a super drawing of 2 people and a little flower. I guessed it was quite old as the message was barely legible. When I got home, I wrote to Niamh at the address on the letter and waited in anticipation to hear from her. It's always a bit unsure as to whether the address will still be the correct one. I was delighted when I received an email back from Niamh, and here it is:- So as it happens, this message from Niamh, turned out to be a real time capsule. It nestled amongst the reeds and seaweed for 11 years before it was found when I turned a rotten piece of wood over and there it was. It was undoubtedly the fact that it was sheltered from the sunlight, that it did not become completely bleached. I expect Niamh had completely forgotten and it must have been such a surprise that someone found it. The last time that bottle was opened in 2003, she was 3! A lot has happened since then, and Niamh is now 13. What a lovely surprise to recall a little piece of your childhood all those years later. I also found a few toys that day, washed up by the tide - also symbols of childhood - and some of them were so faded and obviously old, that their previous owners are also probably much older by now.... This next letter, I was equally happy to find and thought it was a very original way indeed to find a penpal. With this letter, I wasn't quite so lucky however. I did write to Rebecca and my 10 year old daughter was very keen to be a penfriend - but either Rebecca moved, or she had changed her mind! We never did hear back from her. Sadly there was no date, and so I don't know when the letter was put in the water (although I suspect not too long ago, as the pen is very clear to read). So if you're out there Rebecca somewhere, and you'd like to have a penfriend, then get back to me and we can arrange something. It's such a great thing these days to write and receive letters and it's a fabulous opportunity to put aside the mobiles and laptops and tablets.... Bottle mail is very unreliable, and it can take a bit of time - but.... it's worth the wait. I wonder how many more are out there waiting to be found!
If you would like to see the place where I found both Niamh's and Rebecca's letters, then do watch this little documentary about my search for messages in bottles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28904275
1 Comment
Gray Tuttle
23/5/2020 06:54:53 pm
I think the Chinese "messages" are just the signatures (two or three characters) of the people who left the messages, along with their thumbprints (a typical way for people to authenticate their signatures in China). Very interesting!
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AuthorHi, I'm Nicola - Im currently enjoying finding a variety of messages in bottles and discovering the stories behind them! you can watch a video here of a recent message in a bottle finding expedition! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28904275 Archives
December 2017
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