WE’VE all been there – waiting for that parcel or that item of mail that we were expecting but hasn’t shown up yet.

It’s frustrating enough when post you’re anticipating shows up a day or two late – so imagine waiting four decades!

Bizarrely, that’s what seems to have happened at a Bromsgrove village shop – after their local postie delivered a postcard that was sent from Cornwall all the way back in 1977.

Dena Jenks, owner of Blackwell Village Stores, admitted she was gobsmacked when the postcard – sent on August 1, 1977 from Wadebridge – dropped into her lap.

She said: “For it just to arrive, out of the blue like that, was just amazing.”

Thanks to some fine amateur detective work, Dena has sussed out who the intended recipients – ‘Dear Ally and Bob’ – are but the identity of the senders, Chris and Wendy, remains a mystery at the moment.

Dena knew the shop used to belong to the Frizzell family so she quizzed customer Ben Frizzell and found out his grandparents Terry and Beryl used to run the store.

And Terry’s brother Bob lived above the shop with his then-fiancee Alison (Ally).

While Bob has died in the years that have elapsed, Ally lives in London – and Dena hopes to get in touch with her so she can forward the postcard on.

Dena added: “It’s still in pristine condition too. It’s like it’s still waiting for them 42 years later.”

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

While that postcard, of the beautiful Tintagel and Boscastle, has barely changed since 1977, so much else, of course, has altered. It’s a different world.

Back then, for example, a Star Wars film was set for cinema release, Liverpool FC were challenging for domestic and European glory, and Britain was dealing with the aftermath of a momentous referendum about the EU...oh.

Anyway, quite how the postcard only reached its destination generations after it was sent is likely to be a puzzle that remains unsolved - but Royal Mail insists it is improbable that it was just lost.

A Royal Mail spokesperson told the Advertiser: "It is difficult to speculate what may have happened to this item of mail, but it is likely that it was put back into the postal system by someone recently, rather than it being lost or stuck somewhere.

“Royal Mail regularly checks all its delivery offices and clears its processing machines daily. Once an item is in the postal system then it will be delivered to the address on the card."

Perhaps the reason for the delay is as simple as the big message in bold on the right hand side of the rectangular missive.

Look at the address and you’ll realise Chris and Wendy’s cardinal error – they didn’t remember to use the postcode. Don’t forget that next time you’re on holiday!

Maybe the most jaw-dropping thing of all is the price of the postcard’s stamp – 7p. Last month, a first-class stamp rose to 70p. Enough to make you want to go back in time isn’t it…