Do you remember sending postcards while you were on holiday?

For many of us, it was all part of the holiday. We'd spend ages choosing the perfect postcard, then carefully squeeze every little detail of our holiday into the tiny space on the back.  I also had to share that tiny space with my two siblings!  Finally, we'd hunt for a stamp and a postbox before discussing who would arrive home first, us or the postcard.

It was such a simple tradition, but one that brought so much joy, for both the sender and receiver.

I remember searching for the perfect postcard to send to my grandparents whenever we went away as a family. Looking back, it wasn't really about the postcard itself. It was about sharing a little piece of our holiday with someone we loved.

A Memory That Lasts

When I was younger, I spent over a year travelling through Asia before continuing on to Australia and New Zealand.

This was long before smartphones and WhatsApp. If you wanted to keep in touch, you either made an expensive phone call or wrote a postcard.

Those postcards became my way of sharing my adventures. They gave my parents a glimpse of where I was, what I was seeing and how I was feeling. Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Back then, cameras still used film, so there was no sending photos instantly. A postcard was often the first glimpse my family had of the places I'd visited. 

I always chose the postcards with lots of little pictures on them because they captured so much more of where I was.

Even better, my mum kept every postcard I sent home. They're now a great collection of memories from one of the biggest adventures of my life.

The Magic of Slowing Down

Of course, there is one downside to postcards.  Quite often I'd arrive home before the postcard did!

Today we're used to messages arriving in seconds. We can send photos instantly and tell everyone exactly what we're doing without giving it a second thought.

But perhaps that's why postcards feel even more special now.

Writing one encourages you to slow down, pause for a few minutes and really appreciate where you are. Instead of rushing from one attraction to the next, you sit, take in the view and enjoy the moment. 

Imagine enjoying a coffee outside Brambles Bistro or a glass of wine overlooking the sea at The Bay Hotel while writing a postcard. It's a lovely excuse to switch off from the digital world and simply enjoy your surroundings.

Some people even send postcards to themselves as a unique holiday keepsake. Imagine finding a postcard from Robin Hood's Bay waiting on your doormat when you return home, bringing all those happy holiday memories flooding back.

Postcards Are Good for Your Brain 

There may even be another benefit.

I recently listened to Dr Amir Khan explaining how handwriting is good for our brains. Writing by hand uses several different parts of the brain at the same time, helping with memory, concentration and cognitive reserve as we get older.

Unlike typing on a screen, handwriting makes us slow down and think about every word. It's another lovely reason to take a few minutes to write a postcard.

Why Send a Postcard?

There are so many reasons to bring this tradition back.

• It's a thoughtful, personal gesture that shows someone you're thinking of them.
• It creates a lasting souvenir of your holiday.
• You can even send one to yourself as a keepsake.
• It's inexpensive. Postcards in Robin Hood's Bay start from around 50p.
• It brightens someone's day when it lands on their doormat.
• It stays on the mantelpiece or fridge long after a text message has been forgotten.
• It inspires others to visit somewhere you've loved.

Postcards from Robin Hood's Bay

One of the best things about Robin Hood's Bay is that every corner seems postcard-worthy.

Perhaps it's the view across the beach towards Ravenscar. Maybe it's coffee and cake at The Cove, lunch at Brambles Bistro, browsing the shops at Muir Lea or Baytown Stores, or walking the Cleveland Way towards Whitby.

Wherever your favourite spot is, why not pick up a postcard while you're here and send it to someone who'd love to hear about your holiday?

Or better still, send one to yourself.

Join Our Postcard Campaign

We're hoping to bring back the simple pleasure of sending postcards.

Next time you stay at Dock Cottage or Sherwood House, take five minutes to choose a postcard, write a few words and pop it in the post.  They even have free postcards at the Robin Hood's Bay museum, so there is no excuse!

Chances are, it'll make someone's day.

And who knows? It may even inspire them to discover the magic of Robin Hood's Bay for themselves.

When was the last time you sent a postcard?