Butler’s 1920s Postcards Sent to Family in Oxfordshire Spark Joy

Stamford: So, there’s this amazing story about a guy named Frank Hills. He was a butler and valet who lived a pretty interesting life. He worked for some wealthy folks and even got to travel to Egypt when King Tut’s tomb was discovered back in 1922.

Recently, a set of eight postcards he sent to his wife and baby daughter during his travels in the 1920s found their way back to his family. They were sent to his granddaughter, Laura Parham, in Oxfordshire. How cool is that?

These postcards were bought for just £15 at an antiques fair on the Isle of Wight by a guy named Jim Rayner. He runs a Facebook group called the Forgotten Messages Project, which aims to reunite families with lost postcards. After some detective work, he tracked down Laura and sent her the postcards as a late Christmas gift.

Laura, who works in the food industry, was thrilled. She found Jim’s message in her Facebook junk folder on Christmas Eve, which felt like a little miracle. The postcards show places like Monte Carlo and Lake Como, and they’re filled with messages about how much Frank missed his family.

Laura’s mom, Liz, who is Frank’s granddaughter, has kept the postcards safe at her home. She grew up with Frank and remembers him as a kind but quiet man. It’s touching to see how these postcards have brought back memories and a sense of connection to their family history.

Jim even sent them a newspaper clipping that revealed Frank was a hero during a fire at a house where he worked. He ran back into the flames to save others, which is just incredible. Liz wishes her grandfather could see the postcards again and get the recognition he deserves for all he did.

It’s amazing how something as simple as a postcard can connect generations and tell a story. Jim said it’s like finding a movie script every day when he digs into these stories. It’s all about keeping those memories alive, and this family is certainly doing that.