A love letter to the letter
"To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart." Phyllis Theroux
Letter writing reached its peak in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when most people were literate and, because of easier and cheaper transport, they started to travel more frequently. Many people emigrated far from family & friends, and written correspondence was the only way of staying connected to loved ones. Over time, advances in communication, such as the telephone, emails, texts and video calls have largely replaced handwritten letters1.
Some of my thoughts and recollections from Scotland. I hope they will encourage you to share your own Motley Stories about the everyday things in your life, and how things change. Our ordinary lives will one day become significant and contribute to history. So, let’s share our stories, capture them in photos, and preserve them for future generations.
I have previously written about letters, in Missing Letters and about the joy of finding a hoard of letters. But now I want to explore the essence of a letter. Whilst an email or text is gratifying in its immediacy, and undoubtably people write more because of the convenience of modern communication through the Internet, we have lost much with the decline of physical correspondence.
First comes the anticipation. Waiting for a letter from a loved one may feel like an eternity, but the waiting amplifies the happiness when the letter finally arrives. Then there is the tactile and visual joy of handling a letter, examining the stamp and postmark, and identifying the handwriting. Can you identify the handwriting of any of your colleagues?
A letter is personalised in a way that an email can never match. The handwriting is unique, as well as the spacing of the words. A friend of mine has terrible handwriting, but in the days when we wrote letters, it was fun to decider her words. Sometimes typewritten words are too easy, we skim instead of taking time to read.
The way each person writes is a reflection of their speech, which is also true of an email, but somehow the personality in a handwritten letter reflects it better. Each letter is unique.
Small objects can be added to a letter. During the dreadful Crimean War (1853-1856)2 British soldiers were amazed to see snowdrops on the battlefields - they were rare in the UK at the time. Many soldiers sent the bulbs home (they were little bigger than a grain of wheat), in letters to their wives and sweethearts. The bulbs were carefully planted and bloomed the following year. Snowdrops were also planted on the graves of soldiers who died in the Crimea, earning the name ‘the flower of consolation’.
Receiving a letter brings joy through the physical act of opening the envelope and handling the pages, as well as reading the letter. Reading a letter requires quiet and concentration. In contrast emails, even personal ones, can be quickly scanned on a backlit screen, which is not calming, and there is usually a sense of urgency, that you should reply immediately.
In contrast you can read a letter anywhere. For instance, curled up in bed by the lamplight, in the bath, sitting under a tree in the garden, on top of a mountain, or on the train to work. Letters can be re-read many times. Since letters are not expected to be replied to immediately, you have the luxury of taking time to carefully craft your reply.
Finally, a letter has been touched by both the sender and the recipient. The sender wrote the letter in their own hand, then carefully folded the paper before slipping it in the envelope to send. Perhaps they kissed the paper3, before posting it. The envelope then gathers interesting smudges and marks during its journey. However, both the sender and the recipient know that only you two will handle, or see the letter enclosed.
A letter is a physical connection, a tangible link, an artefact, a keepsake. Letters act as a form of memoir. No wonder letters and envelopes are often saved for many years, and become as precious as the written words they hold4.
If you receive a special email you could print it, and save it as you would a letter.
Postcards are the children of letters. They are mostly carefree and fun, although sometimes they carry sad news. Postcards typically feature a picture and a brief message, avoiding the weighty content that letters can carry. Often sent from vacation spots, postcards serve as a memento of relaxation and holiday destinations. Their concise format forces the sender to craft a message that fits within the space, whilst writing something suitable for public display.
Plain postcards were introduced to Britain in 1870, with postage costing half that of a letter. By 1894 picture postcards, particularly at seaside resorts, became popular. Since the message was on a postcard, it could be read by anyone (especially parents), so sweethearts began using the position of the stamp as a secret code.
I also love stamps, which of course are an integral part of a letter. To me they are a perfect example of a pictorial story, but in miniature; in addition to showcasing the culture & history of the country of origin. Stamp design is a unique art form, you cannot simply scale down a larger image. Stamps are also collectors items. The world's most expensive stamp sold for $8.3 million in 2021! Because stamps are collectors items, many countries release special stamp sets.
My love of letters and postcards probably stemmed from my childhood, when I helped in my grandparent’s shop, which included a Post Office. During the summer months we were visited by tourists, who would buy and send postcards. It was my responsibility to empty the postbox every day, and cancel the stamps with a postmark. I loved the satisfying ‘thunk’ of the postmark stamp, and (if I had time) I liked to look at the pictures.
In those days many of the cards were saucy, in a way that would be considered quite inappropriate by today's standards.
Whenever I visit somewhere new, or go to a museum, I always buy a postcard. On the back I jot a brief note about the occasion and my companions. I then use them as bookmarks. I enjoy a little moment of nostalgia when I stumble upon an old postcard nestled within a book.
While I occasionally send postcards to friends, I rarely write a letter. I have lost the ability to think ahead that is necessary for letter writing. I have become used to the computer word processor, which allows me to easily rephrase, or rearrange sentences and paragraphs. And I make good use of spell check!
I intend to start writing letters again, even if I type them before printing. Receiving ‘real’ mail is such a special experience that nowadays sending a letter is like sending a present. The recipient knows you have taken the time to write, and you have paid the astronomical price of a stamp5, just to show you are thinking of them.
Night Mail by W H Auden
This is an excerpt from the poem. The rhythm of this poem is reminiscent of a train delivering letters through the night.
"Letters of thanks, letters from banks, Letters of joy from girl and boy, Receipted bills and invitations To inspect new stock or to visit relations, And applications for situations, And timid lovers' declarations, And gossip, gossip from all the nations, News circumstantial, news financial, Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in, Letters with faces scrawled on the margin, Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts, Letters to Scotland from the South of France, Letters of condolence to Highlands and Lowlands Written on paper of every hue, The pink, the violet, the white and the blue, The chatty, the catty, the boring, the adoring, The cold and official and the heart's outpouring, Clever, stupid, short and long, The typed and the printed and the spelt all wrong."
Have you sent any letters or postcards recently?
Other viewpoints
Letters Live hold charity events, where actors read letters. There showcase some splendid letters, that are sympathetically read. Some videos from Letters Live events are on YouTube.
has been involved in Letters Live, and his brilliant Substack posts and books about letters (and notes) are a great read.Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock. This is the first book in a series of three that tells the story of a postcard designer (Griffin), and a stamp designer (Sabine). The story is told in beautifully illustrated postcards and letters (some of which can be pulled out of the book and read).
What makes a rare stamp? The world's most expensive stamp is the British Guiana One Cent Magenta, which sold for $8.3 million in 2021. This article discusses rare stamps.
“Letter volumes have declined from a peak of 20 billion a year to 6.7 billion. In four years time, letter volumes could drop to 4 billion while parcels continue to grow.” Royal Mail (UK) statement in 2025.
The Crimean war stemmed from Russia's ambitions to expand its influence in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. Tragically, some things never change.
Did you ever write SWALK (Sealed With A Loving Kiss) on the back of your letter? I did!
I am writing about letters between loved ones, but even important business letters have been kept as a reminder of special moments - an acceptance at University, a mortgage, or a job offer.
In April 2025, a Royal Mail first-class stamp costs £1.70 ($2.20). If you include the price of a card you could be paying £5 ($6.53) just to say hello. Postcards now have the same postage rates as letters.
I credit my grandmother with the habit of letter writing. She insisted on "bread and butter notes" which were personal expressions of gratitude sent in the post for the smallest of kindnesses. This week I received two handwritten thank you notes. Each has penmanship that reflects their personality. Stationary products are my weakness along with books. Lovely post!
What a beautiful piece—like receiving a handwritten letter in itself. I often write handwritten notes to parents, expressing how well their child is doing in class. The children try hard to get one of these and parents love opening them too. Takes about 2 minutes and is well worth the time.