A driving instructor had a surprise delivery when a bundle of mail arrived at his Plymouth home – 16 years after it was posted.
After travelling more than 5,000 miles and taking more than a decade and a half, Andrew Murrin aged 59, finally received his post after it was re-directed from his former South Africa home in the early Nineties.
"I left South Africa in 1993 and left behind four self-addressed envelopes because the lady who bought my house said she would forward on any post to me," said Mr Murrin, who worked in Johannesburg as part of a two-year contract teaching catering.
"As far as I was concerned I had cleared up all of my business in South Africa so I was amazed when it arrived," he said.
"It's just strange that it suddenly appeared out of the blue."
Statements sent from the Midland Bank, since renamed HSBC, and letters from a South African telecoms company all arrived on a startled Mr Murrin's doorstep in Southway.
"There were two A5 envelopes absolutely stuffed with letters," he said, and there was also a letter addressed to his 14-year-old daughter Rebecca – now aged 30.
"It's a mystery where it's been. It's been such a long time," said Mr Murrin, who has another daughter, 34- year-old Frances.
So far he has managed to deduce that the mail was sent from South Africa before 1996 because of the postage stamps on the envelope, but after that the trail goes cold.
"The air mail stamps on the envelopes have the old South African flag on them and I believe that disappeared in 1996 and the new flag came into being," he said.
"The envelopes are quite worn and one's been taped up, so they've been around for a long time."
And Mr Murrin has his own explanation for the postal delay.
"They've probably been in a box somewhere and someone found them recently and sent them on," he said.
"I really don't know where they've been. It's a mystery."
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "It's difficult to say what caused the delay as we don't track individual items of unregistered mail and we can only apologise to the customer for any inconvenience caused."
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Firefighters rescue dog from icy waters
HINGHAM, Mass. -- Firefighters went out on thin ice Friday afternoon to rescue a dog that fell into the slushy water.
Olly, a 2-year-old black lab, ran onto the ice after some geese when he got stranded 100 feet into Hingham Harbor.
Firefighters went out onto the unsafe ice to rescue Olly. "I said come on buddy, you got to give me a hand and he actually had enough energy to come towards me," said Jim Sheard, of the Hingham Fire Dept. Sheard said that they were able to make a connection, but at this point they were both exhausted. "I was able to pull his collar underneath my hands and his leash wrapped around my foot, so I had two points of connection with the animal," said Sheard.
Two other firefighters worked hard to bring Sheard and Olly to land.Olly was taken to a truck to warm up and then taken to the vet in good condition. "Dogs definitely have a sense that your there to help," said Sheard.
.
Olly, a 2-year-old black lab, ran onto the ice after some geese when he got stranded 100 feet into Hingham Harbor.
Firefighters went out onto the unsafe ice to rescue Olly. "I said come on buddy, you got to give me a hand and he actually had enough energy to come towards me," said Jim Sheard, of the Hingham Fire Dept. Sheard said that they were able to make a connection, but at this point they were both exhausted. "I was able to pull his collar underneath my hands and his leash wrapped around my foot, so I had two points of connection with the animal," said Sheard.
Two other firefighters worked hard to bring Sheard and Olly to land.Olly was taken to a truck to warm up and then taken to the vet in good condition. "Dogs definitely have a sense that your there to help," said Sheard.
.
.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
One Humongous Airship takes to the Air
I wonder how many UFO sightings are now reported after seeing this ship in the air?
.
.
Friday, February 6, 2009
%2520%5B800x600%5D.jpg)
L-test hell for S Korean driver
A South Korean grandmother has failed her written driving test 771 times.
Police in the city of Jeonju said the 68-year-old woman has taken, and failed, the written test repeatedly since April 2005.
She failed the exam once again on Monday but has said that she will continue trying.
The woman, identified only by her family name Cha, has repeatedly scored between 30 and 50 marks, below the pass mark of 60 out of 100.
The Korea Times reports that Mrs Cha sells food and household items door to door at apartment complexes.
She currently carries the items in a handcart, but thought that she might need a car for her business.
Police estimate she has spent more than four million won (£2,000) to take the written test, with each test costing 6,000 won, in addition to other expenses.
"I feel sorry every time I see Cha fail. When she passes, I'll make a commemorative tablet myself and give it to her," says Park Jung-seok, a traffic police officer.
Mrs Cha has said that she will be back for another attempt. If she passes, then she can begin the practical test.
.
Police in the city of Jeonju said the 68-year-old woman has taken, and failed, the written test repeatedly since April 2005.
She failed the exam once again on Monday but has said that she will continue trying.
The woman, identified only by her family name Cha, has repeatedly scored between 30 and 50 marks, below the pass mark of 60 out of 100.
The Korea Times reports that Mrs Cha sells food and household items door to door at apartment complexes.
She currently carries the items in a handcart, but thought that she might need a car for her business.
Police estimate she has spent more than four million won (£2,000) to take the written test, with each test costing 6,000 won, in addition to other expenses.
"I feel sorry every time I see Cha fail. When she passes, I'll make a commemorative tablet myself and give it to her," says Park Jung-seok, a traffic police officer.
Mrs Cha has said that she will be back for another attempt. If she passes, then she can begin the practical test.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
