Adventures in Letter Writing No. 46: Anyone for cake?

I like an anniversary. Cake normally features doesn’t it but not only that, I do like to marvel at the passing of time especially in a “What were we doing this time last year?” type way. I never understand those who refuse to tell, let alone celebrate, when their birthday is. As hubby always says when I’m trying to psychoanalyse the world “Well, we’re all different, aren’t we”. I know he’s right of course, I just don’t feel it, if that makes sense. Maybe I’m just always wondering about what would unite us. Cake surely would be in the top ten, wouldn’t it?

But anyway, I wasn’t really going to go on (anymore) about the very lovely letter writing year we’ve just had but my Mum said she couldn’t find anything about our birthday on the website and she’s absolutely right because it really was only on Twitter and Facebook and she’s not on them. I realised two things about the website. 1) I need to add a “News” section to the menu, and 2) I solemnly promise to try and sort out a postal address. I’ve dithered about it all year. I toyed with just using our home address but a friend said “Remove it immediately!” I still faffed then woke up in a cold sweat one night and had to tiptoe downstairs and fire up the computer (we are a bit low-tech), open the file and hit delete. The only other alternative is a PO Box. Am I missing something but how can a box down the road at the Postal Depot really cost £330 a year!? I can’t see a way round it though so it might have to be my Christmas, Birthday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s, Wedding Anniversary (any others?) present instead.

But our first year! We’ve had fun. 54 real members, 400 (give or take) Twitter followers (George Clarke off the telly still being one of them – he may just have forgotten he does), 192 follows on Facebook, two lovely write-ups in Just About Dorset and Mature Times, and an actual letter from Stephen Fry. The loveliest thing about it all has been making so many wonderful connections with all sorts of people and seeing a handwritten letter revival really happening. You might ask why does that matter in the grand scheme of things which is a good question and I’m not sure I have all the research or answers to back it up, but to me, intrinsically there’s something right with the world when one person writes a letter/makes a personal connection with another. That I can definitely feel. And our Letter Writing Day at Leeson House, and our time at Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, or our first birthday at The Old Stables in Swanage. Those I’m pretty sure I have gone on about but I’ll add some photos at the bottom of the page just in case you missed them.

So I’m guessing if you’ve read this far you’re either my Mum, or you are one of my lovely kind supporters, or you’ve exhausted all other internet reading, or I don’t know really, but just thanks everso for all the love this year and for bearing with this not very techy person, and definitely for taking time to write a letter to someone special whenever the mood takes you or life allows.

It means a lot.

Dinah

Letter Writing Day at Leeson House Field Studies Centre, March 2018
From a letter from Stephen Fry, March 2018
Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, August 2018
First Birthday Celebrations at The Old Stables, Swanage, October 2018

2 thoughts on “Adventures in Letter Writing No. 46: Anyone for cake?

    1. D1nah_ says:

      Mike, you are the loveliest. I think I’m going to try 6 months to start with and see how we get on. We can reassess after that and think more about your completely heart-warming and generous offer. Thank you so much. Dinah

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