Postcards on the Box

[callmemadam]

I’m finding more and more often that BBC4 is my channel. Nothing on? There’s bound to be some quirky documentary to knit by and so it proved yesterday evening with The Picture Postcard World of Nigel Walmsley . The programme opened with an invisible man grumbling and I immediately thought, ‘I know that voice!’ Yes, folks, ‘Nigel Walmsley’ was Ed Reardon, aka Christopher Douglas. Ed Reardon’s Week is one of the very few radio comedy shows which actually makes me laugh (you can hear it now on Radio 4 Extra) so this was promising.

The premise is that Nigel receives an invitation to give a talk on Collecting Picture Postcards. As there’s dinner and a fee involved, he’s keen to do it. The problem is that he knows nothing at all about postcards and so he spends a week delving into the arcane world of deltiology. He meets collectors, dealers and, because ‘I need a tame media don’, Professor John Sutherland. As he puts the talk together, we hear the familiar tap-tapping of what must be Ed Reardon’s typewriter. For the collector, the interest may lie in old portraits, views of certain places, Donald McGill or motorway service stations. It was fascinating to learn that postcards were the Twitter of their day. A news event could be photographed in the morning, turned into a postcard in the afternoon and received in the evening.

This was a quirky, entertaining and informative programme which I enjoyed very much.



The back of the Crooked House card, showing how little space there was to write on early cards. The next pic shows the split card format which made sending cards so popular.



Click to see the whole thing.

Comments

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

I watched this too! I loved the idea of writing in code and some of the messages were priceless :) It was most interesting particularly as I have a huge collection of postcards of all types from 'the golden era' which I found in my mum's attic when I cleared out her house. They were in a small suitcase and had been collected by my grandfather. I must post some pix of a few...

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it nice that one of the collectors was mostly interested in the messages even though the cards might be worthless? Lucky you to have a haul to sort through. Any from the Titanic? :-) I'd love to see your pictures.

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

I always read the messages when looking through old ones. I'm always amazed at how much some people can write on one card as well.

I'll have a look through for any Titanic ones. It'd be great if I had one :)

I was surprised at how many men were collectors.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

Apart from the odd thing on BBC2 almost all my viewing of choice is on BBC4. I shall be livid if they axe it.

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

It is the only channel I ever watch ....

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Me too. I signed an online petition a while ago but I can't remember who I got it from.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

See above. I can't believe they're even considering the axe. So many good music programmes, frex.

[trixiebacon.livejournal.com]

I must watch this on iPlayer, thanks.

Did you hear about / read the book of postcards 'Nothing To Write Home About'? It's a book of collected John Hinde postcards, with messages intact. Link to the site below to read all about it. My copy lives by the bed to dip in to. It's has a touch of the John Shuttleworth about it.

http://www.abadie.co.uk/postcards/

[trixiebacon.livejournal.com]

Sorry, me again. I didn't realize you could see pages of the book. This is one of my favourites.

http://www.abadie.co.uk/postcards/reviews_sample2.htm

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thanks for the link. 'Couplandesque' is recommendation enough for me.

[lethe1]

This sounds very interesting. Unfortunately I can't receive BBC4. Is it one of the digital channels?

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Yes, BBC3 (rubbish) and BBC4 (excellent!) are digital channels. I watch through Freeview. As you see from the comments, we are pretty incensed here by the idea that 4 may be axed to save money. BBC4 shows the kind of programme we used to get on BBC2: the Proms, interesting linked music programmes (this evening, Pink Floyd), good documentaries. Nearly everything I've enjoyed recently has been on BBC4.