Retired Brit Receives Postcard Sent 66 Years ago

Three mailboxes are seen along the highway US-1 in the Lower Keys near Key Largo in Florida, July 10, 2014. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
Three mailboxes are seen along the highway US-1 in the Lower Keys near Key Largo in Florida, July 10, 2014. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
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Retired Brit Receives Postcard Sent 66 Years ago

Three mailboxes are seen along the highway US-1 in the Lower Keys near Key Largo in Florida, July 10, 2014. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)
Three mailboxes are seen along the highway US-1 in the Lower Keys near Key Largo in Florida, July 10, 2014. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)

A retired salesman has declared himself elated after a long-lost postcard from 1955 was unexpectedly delivered to him. Chris Harmon, 75, was sent the letter by an American pen pal when he was a young boy living in East Sussex – but it took 66 years to finally reach him, according to The Metro. The correspondence was recently discovered at a charity shop in Dorchester, after being handed in as part of Weldmar Hospicecare's stamp collection fundraising appeal.

A diligent volunteer saw the postcard was addressed to Chris Harmon and searched for him on Facebook.

He messaged Harmon, from Pershore, on the off-chance the document was meant for him and the pair was delighted to realize it was.

The letter – featuring a Grand Central Station marking and vintage airmail stamp – reveals American Fred Kendall had more luck receiving a pair of Dutch clogs from his boyhood friend. Harmon, who spent his childhood in Peacehaven, was thrilled to at last receive the October 13 reply from Kendall, who signs off as "Uncle Fred" despite not being related and promises a 10th birthday present.

The pair remained pen pals across the Atlantic until the 1970s, when they lost contact. Harmon had tried unsuccessfully to track down New Jersey's Kendall – who was a publisher from Short Hills – on a visit to the US in 2007, but has since discovered that his friend had died a number of years ago.



Escaped Otter is Home Safe but US Zoo Says her Pal is Still on the Loose

  The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters
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Escaped Otter is Home Safe but US Zoo Says her Pal is Still on the Loose

  The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters

Ophelia the escaped zoo otter is back home but Louie remains elusive — perhaps in search of a mate.
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ophelia was captured Friday night, the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Her return was kept under wraps until Tuesday while she was held for observation. A veterinarian’s examination Monday cleared her for return to her enclosure, The Associated Press reported.
However, she “may not always be visible to guests,” the zoo said. “Ophelia has always been a bit shy and enjoys tucking into things to take naps throughout the day.”
The mammals escaped through a hole in a fence during a snowstorm.
Louie remains on the lam. “This is otter breeding season and we expect that, as a male otter, Louie is likely ranging a bit further from home than Ophelia did.”
It's unlikely Louie is too far away, the zoo said. Otters are territorial creatures.
He's undoubtedly safe — otters are native to the area — and poses no harm to humans.
The zoo has had help from a tracker, motion-activated cameras and reports from residents who see the critters, particularly those who are able to take photos or video of the animal.