A Postcard to a Monk, 1933
s well as being a great source of old photographs showing the way a place used to look, postcards can also provide an excellent insight into other things. A few candid words will quickly betray the thoughts and opinions of visitors to our city, giving us an objective description of the place surrounding us, from a neutral observer's point of view. Additionally, it can be interesting to study the style of writing, the sentiments and the humour used by folk in decades gone by.
This first postcard in the series is certainly not typical of the usual "having a great time, weather good" sort of message - perhaps the most distinguishing feature being the person it's being sent to.... someone in a monastery.
Postcard text: Here's something to remind you of Dear Old Cov. (and it is old isn't it?).
The brief message above appears to be to a person, who has at some time moved from Coventry to Douai Abbey, Woolhampton near Reading - the inititals after the recipient's name indicating that it's the Order of Saint Benedict.
Of course, if King Henry VIII hadn't had such a grudge against the monks, the Jim to whom this postcard was written might not have had to move so far to find a Benedictine monastery!
Also, I wonder if the sender would have preferred to find a postcard showing the remains of our Benedictine priory rather than Ford's Hospital, had one been on display?
Postcard to a monk - > Work in a Coventry car factory?
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