A postcard sent in 1903 has finally arrived at its intended destination in Swansea, 121 years after it was first mailed. Addressed to Miss Lydia Davis, the Christmas-themed postcard was delivered to the Swansea Building Society’s Cradock Street branch, the same address it was intended for over a century ago. The sender, identified only as Ewart, expressed his regrets to “L” about not being able to pick up an unspecified item, mentioned his pocket money, and sent love to mutual acquaintances. The postcard’s delayed delivery has sparked a quest to locate Lydia Davis’s descendants, with the building society staff taking to social media in hopes of connecting with anyone related to her.

The Royal Mail commented on the unusual delivery, suggesting that the postcard might have been reintroduced into the postal system recently rather than being lost for over a century. Henry Darby, the marketing and communications officer for Swansea Building Society, noted that the postcard arrived with regular mail and that despite efforts, finding Lydia’s relatives has been challenging. The only clue they have is that Lydia was 16 when the postcard was written, and her father was John F. Davis. The building society hopes that by sharing the story on social media, they might find someone locally who is connected to Lydia, possibly several generations later.