Comments on: Letters http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/ the writing life with extra crunchy bits Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:50:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Social Work Dad http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2393 Social Work Dad Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:04:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2393 Sorry for the lateness of this comment but.... your post reminded me of something i read some time ago. So I've been hunting for it and have amanged to find it! In 'Notes from a Big Country' Bill Bryson described how a letter he sent to a friend in California "c/o Black oak Books, Berkeley, California'. After 41 days the letter was returned to Bill unsent. Where had it been (on holiday in sunny California). He then goes on to describe how an article in the Smithsonian magazine asserts that a letter waqs successfully delivered by the US Postal Service bearing the address:<br /><br />HILL<br />JOHN<br />MASS<br /><br />Someone worked out that it had been sent to John Underhill, Andover, Mass.<br /><br />So some faith was restored! Sorry for the lateness of this comment but…. your post reminded me of something i read some time ago. So I’ve been hunting for it and have amanged to find it! In ‘Notes from a Big Country’ Bill Bryson described how a letter he sent to a friend in California “c/o Black oak Books, Berkeley, California’. After 41 days the letter was returned to Bill unsent. Where had it been (on holiday in sunny California). He then goes on to describe how an article in the Smithsonian magazine asserts that a letter waqs successfully delivered by the US Postal Service bearing the address:

HILL
JOHN
MASS

Someone worked out that it had been sent to John Underhill, Andover, Mass.

So some faith was restored!

]]> By: Alto2 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2383 Alto2 Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:49:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2383 When I lived in Lewisburg, PA, I received a letter from DH's friend (an absent-minded professor), who wrote our name, the street but no number, and the city and state. It arrived without a problem. Such is small-town life ... something to look forward to when you move. When I lived in Lewisburg, PA, I received a letter from DH’s friend (an absent-minded professor), who wrote our name, the street but no number, and the city and state. It arrived without a problem. Such is small-town life … something to look forward to when you move.

]]> By: Zany Mom http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2381 Zany Mom Wed, 31 Jan 2007 02:12:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2381 Humans *do* deliver mail far better than computers, apparently. Humans *do* deliver mail far better than computers, apparently.

]]> By: Stuntfather http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2380 Stuntfather Tue, 30 Jan 2007 22:37:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2380 Pembroke, NOT Peterhouse!<br /><br />(The vanity of small differences) Pembroke, NOT Peterhouse!

(The vanity of small differences)

]]> By: FRITZ http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2379 FRITZ Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:49:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2379 I think I now know what I would like to do for a living.<br /><br />Deliver mail for the Royal Mail.<br /><br />Wonderful. I think I now know what I would like to do for a living.

Deliver mail for the Royal Mail.

Wonderful.

]]> By: Excellent Walker http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2377 Excellent Walker Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:28:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2377 The thing I always appreciated about the Royal Mail when I lived in London was that I got delivery before 9am every day, and on some days, a second delivery in the afternoon. There were a couple of occasions when I mailed something in the morning and a friend across town reported receiving it later that same day. Amazing. The thing I always appreciated about the Royal Mail when I lived in London was that I got delivery before 9am every day, and on some days, a second delivery in the afternoon. There were a couple of occasions when I mailed something in the morning and a friend across town reported receiving it later that same day. Amazing.

]]> By: Pauline http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2376 Pauline Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:07:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2376 My dad was a rural route mail carrier and he often delivered to addresses that weren't much more than "My Uncle Ed on Bear's Den Road." He would also take the pie from the Walker sisters' mailbox and deliver it across town to their friend Millie who would invite him in for a piece! My dad was a rural route mail carrier and he often delivered to addresses that weren’t much more than “My Uncle Ed on Bear’s Den Road.” He would also take the pie from the Walker sisters’ mailbox and deliver it across town to their friend Millie who would invite him in for a piece!

]]> By: mad muthas http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2373 mad muthas Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:10:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2373 peterhouse - cool! my sister was at girton, her husband at kings, and my cousin at st john's. fantastic place, isn't it? <br />i didn't read about that post office thing - what a great story. i only wish the postman who was supposed to deliver my skiing trousers before christmas had shown such determination! they never materialised at all - brrrrr.<br />i never realised you were a closet lurker! speak out, woman! even if you have nothing to say ... you know it's never stopped me! peterhouse – cool! my sister was at girton, her husband at kings, and my cousin at st john’s. fantastic place, isn’t it?
i didn’t read about that post office thing – what a great story. i only wish the postman who was supposed to deliver my skiing trousers before christmas had shown such determination! they never materialised at all – brrrrr.
i never realised you were a closet lurker! speak out, woman! even if you have nothing to say … you know it’s never stopped me!

]]> By: n.b. http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/2007/01/29/letters/comment-page-1/#comment-2371 n.b. Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:48:00 +0000 http://www.francescaamendolia.com/blog/?p=458#comment-2371 Love the news snippet: great story! Your post reminded me that I have a box stuffed full of letters from MY year at Edinburgh University. Same romance of the post, plus you got mail delivery TWICE A DAY! Imagine that. Love the news snippet: great story! Your post reminded me that I have a box stuffed full of letters from MY year at Edinburgh University. Same romance of the post, plus you got mail delivery TWICE A DAY! Imagine that.

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