| Postcards help to preserve Exeter's past | |
|  | | Margaret and John Folkes |
| | Exeter Postcards has been a real labour of love for retired couple John and Margaret Folkes from Exeter. It's their first ever book, and it will go down well with Exonians with an interest in the history of their city. |
| | | Old postcards tell us a lot about our local history and the way we used to live - and not just through the photos on the front. The messages on the back can be equally revealing.
For example, once upon time, many moons ago, people would send cards to friends in the morning with the message: "See you this evening". And the cards would arrive in the afternoon! Ah, those were the days...
Some of the old cards in the amazing collection owned by John and Margaret Folkes carry messages just like this.
John and Margaret, from Exeter, have been collecting postcards for years, and some date back to the late 1800s.
 | | Part of the front cover of the book |
A selection of their cards are featured in their first ever book - called Exeter Postcards - which also has images from the collections of other members of the Exeter Postcard Society.
The cards all have a little tale to tell, and reveal key moments of Exeter's past.
The book is timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the society, which boasts 55 members.
Margaret said that compiling the book was a major undertaking: "It was quite daunting for us," she admitted. "But it has gone really well."
Margaret added: "The amazing thing was that in the early days of postcards, people's only idea of what places looked like came from the pictures on postcards."
The book has more than 200 postcards, spanning a period of time between 1900 and 1960.
John explained that 1902 was a big year for the development of postcards: "That was the year when the divided back was introduced, so you could put the address on one side and your message on the other.
 | | The trams in Fore Street, from a postcard in the 1920s. On the back of the Number 23 is an advert for Exeter department store Colson and Co, publicising their "dainty teas." |
"That meant the whole of the front of the card could carry a picture."
The book has seven chapters, with cards showing the city's best loved landmarks - some of which are now literally history, including the old Exe Bridge, which was replaced by a new one in 1905.
There are also some fabulous images of the city's old trams.
The shops, river, and cathedral adorn many of the cards, and there is also a section on sporting events.
The city's bad times are also recorded on some of the postcards - including the two world wars, and the devastating floods of 1960.
Alongside each card is an in-depth explanation. John said: "It took a year to research it.
"And the choice of which postcards to include was very difficult. We wanted to go for something a little different."
| | | |
|
|  | | What's on at Devon's theatres and in the world of art. |
| Hometowns A-Z |  | | Take a guided tour of Devon - there's no place like home. |
| Webcams |  | | From stunning views to nature - take a webcam tour of Devon. |
BBC Devon
Broadcasting House
Seymour Road
Plymouth
PL3 5BD
(+44) 01752 229201
devon.online@bbc.co.uk
|
|
