The ISIHAC
Historical Postcards Page

Last Updated
13 Feb 2004

On the BBC Radio 4 show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, one of the rounds includes suggestions for postcard messages likely to have been sent by famous historical figures from a certain holiday destination. Here are some of the teams' suggestions, along with some of my suggestions. If you have any ideas you would like included, please e-mail me here, and I will add the best ones (with full credit to you of course)

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Bury St Edmunds - 27 Nov 1993

Hale Portia,
Vici, Vidi, Veni, or vice versa. Status quo good...but Beatles better.
Hale et Pace, Julius.

from Julius Caesar to his wife Portia, postmarked Londinium


Bury St Edmunds - 27 Nov 1993

Dear James,
Counting every minute, Sydney.

Captain Cook from Sydney Bay


Bury St Edmunds - 27 Nov 1993

Weather's not up to much. Catering poor. Oates is popping out to post this now.

from Captain Scott at the Antarctic


Bury St Edmunds - 27 Nov 1993

Having a great time at Trafalgar, apart from the pigeons. Captain Hardy is showing me great loyalty & affection, though I still have to remind him 'No Tongues'. Can't wait to be back with you - hope the eye & the arm are enough to be going on with.
P.S. Please send half bottle of Optrex.

from Nelson
to Lady Hamilton


Bury St Edmunds - 27 Nov 1993

Dear Dorothy,

Have you got a rhyme for either Tintern or Abbey?

from Wordsworth
at Tintern Abbey


Bury St Edmunds - 27 Nov 1993

Weather here.

Wish you were beautiful.

from Adam
to Eve


Best of ISIHAC 1/3 (d?) - 06 Apr 1998

Dear Dorothy,

Have you got a rhyme for either Tintern or Abbey?

from Wordsworth
at Tintern Abbey


Best of ISIHAC 1/3 (d?) - 06 Apr 1998

Having a great time at Trafalgar, apart from the pigeons. Captain Hardy is showing me great loyalty & affection, though I still have to remind him 'No Tongues'. Can't wait to be back with you - hope the eye & the arm are enough to be going on with.
P.S. Please send half bottle of Optrex.

from Nelson
to Lady Hamilton


Best of ISIHAC 1/3 (d?) - 06 Apr 1998

Weather's not up to much. Catering poor. Oates is popping out to post this now.

from Captain Scott at the Antarctic


ISIHAC 2, Side 2

Dear Dorothy,

Have you got a rhyme for either Tintern or Abbey?

from Wordsworth
at Tintern Abbey


ISIHAC 2, Side 2

Having a great time at Trafalgar. Captain Hardy is showing me great loyalty & affection, though I still have to remind him 'No Tongues'. Can't wait to be back with you - hope the eye & the arm are enough to be going on with.
P.S. Please send half bottle of Optrex.

from Nelson
to Lady Hamilton


ISIHAC 2, Side 2

Weather's not up to much. Catering poor. Oates is popping out to post this now.

from Captain Scott at the Antarctic


ISIHAC 2, Side 2

Hale Portia,
Vici, Vidi, Veni, or vice versa. Status quo good...but Beatles better.
Hale et Pace, Julius.

from Julius Caesar to his wife Portia, postmarked Londinium


ISIHAC 2, Side 2

Dear James,
Counting every minute, Sydney.

Captain Cook from Sydney Bay


ISIHAC 2, Side 2

Working flat out! Pope now wants something more like the opening titles on The South Bank Show.
Am in agony, but ecstasy keeps me going.

from Michaelangelo from the Cistene Chapel


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Weather good.
Hitler charming.
Piece of paper follows.

from Neville Chamberlain in Munich,
to Mrs. Chamberlain


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Off to see the new Messiah who's just been born. Bit of a bummer with it all happening on Christmas Day!

from the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Vesuvius erupted last night.
We were all petrified!

from Pompeii


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Having a blinding time.
Long letter to follow.

from Paul (or Saul) in Damascus to his friends in Corinth


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

The publisher loves 'Pride & Prejudice', but says all the effing & blinding has to go.

from Jane Austen
to her mother


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Dear Matron,
All a terrible mistake. In my letter, I said I wanted to go to the cinema!

from Florence Nightingale in the Crimea


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Dear all,
What a laugh this is - Stanley turned up again today. This time, I hid behind the mud huts!

from Dr. Livingstone in the Congo


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Regarding my next commission - have you heard anything?

from Beethoven to his agent


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Dear 'Caes',
Place full of ghastly children.
Wish you were Herod.

from Mrs. Julius Caesar in Disneyland


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Weather exceedingly good.
Beaches exceedingly good.
Night life exceedingly good.
Cake crap!

from Kipling in India


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

This is the last time I charter a jumbo from Virgin!

from Hannibal in the Alps


Plymouth - 14 Jun 1999

Hi - I'm on the train! Talk to you later.

from George Stephenson on the Rocket, on it's inaugural journey from Stockton to Darlington


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Weather good.
Hitler charming.
Piece of paper follows.

from Neville Chamberlain in Munich,
to Mrs. Chamberlain


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Off to see the new Messiah who's just been born. Bit of a bummer with it all happening on Christmas Day!

from the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Vesuvius erupted last night.
We were all petrified!

from Pompeii


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Having a blinding time.
Long letter to follow.

from Paul (or Saul) in Damascus to his friends in Corinth


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

The publisher loves 'Pride & Prejudice', but says all the effing & blinding has to go.

from Jane Austen
to her mother


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Dear Matron,
All a terrible mistake. In my letter, I said I wanted to go to the cinema!

from Florence Nightingale in the Crimea


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Dear all,
What a laugh this is - Stanley turned up again today. This time, I hid behind the mud huts!

from Dr. Livingstone in the Congo


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Regarding my next commission - have you heard anything?

from Beethoven to his agent


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Dear 'Caes',
Place full of ghastly children.
Wish you were Herod.

from Mrs. Julius Caesar in Disneyland


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Weather exceedingly good.
Beaches exceedingly good.
Night life exceedingly good.
Cake crap!

from Kipling in India


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

This is the last time I charter a jumbo from Virgin!

from Hannibal in the Alps


ISIHAC 6, Side 1

Hi - I'm on the train! Talk to you later.

from George Stephenson on the Rocket, on it's inaugural journey from Stockton to Darlington


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Have introduced cricket to the aborigines. Close of play score on the first day: England - All out 48, Aborigines - 473 for 2.
Have you thought of turning Yorkshire into a penal settlement?

from Captain Cook from Botany Bay


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Glen the Miller's gone missing!

from Geoffrey Chaucer from Canterbury


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Having a time of a whale!
Wish you were here.

from Jonah from the Old Testament


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Typical! Miles & miles of clear water and we hit a mountain! I'm sending this gofer wood back to MFI.

from Noah from Mount Ararat


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

This is the last time I holiday with sherpa Tensing. He thinks I'm married to Bill Clinton, & keeps shouting Hillary, Hillary. Have you ever been goosed by a sherpa at 28000 feet?
The views are very nice.
Love, Hilary

from Sir Edmund Hilary


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Phew! What a scorcher!

from Joan of Arc from Rouen


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Working flat out! Pope now wants something more like the opening titles on The South Bank Show.
Am in agony, but ecstasy keeps me going.

from Michaelangelo from the Cistene Chapel


London (??) - 02 Jul 1994

Once more unto the beach, dear friends.
Wish you were here.

from Henry V


Hastings lovely. Looking forward to the big day. Not sure if we should have booked the Red Arrows.

from King Harold from Hastings


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

The people here are very free and easy. We've been enjoying the night life and no mistake. Sadly they start demolition tomorrow, so we'll have to leave. Still, as the wife says, it'll be something to look back on.

from Lot from Sodom & Gomorrah


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Still can't crack the poem about the Host of Mouldy Espadrills. Got a writers block trying to think of the right word for two weeks...then I thought 'fortnight', that's it.

from William Wordsworth, Holiday Inn, Windermere


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Having a wonderful time I think, therefore I am.

from René Descartes from Antwerp


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Reached top safely. Hilary says I'm to be given the greatest honour. They're going to name a van after me.

from Sherpa Tensing


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Stanley arrived yesterday. Seemed a bit presumptious.

from Dr. Livingstone in Africa to his wife


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Big fight with Goliath scheduled for tomorrow. You've probably heard about the ruckus at the weigh-in. I've pretty well mastered this stone-slinging business, but just in case, I've positioned Shadrack, Meshack & Abednigo on the grassy knoll

from David from the Holy Land


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Disregard story in tabloids. It was Granny Smith who hit me on the head. Nevertheless, you'll appreciate the gravity of the situation.

from Isaac Newton, The Gazebo, Friday


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Dear Dot. Must dash.

from Samuel Morse


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Hello Mick. Hello. Hello Mick. Hello. What? Hello. I don't think I've got the hang of this.

from Keith Richards to Mick Jagger


Hastings - 17 Jun 2002

Having a lovely time. Wish you could hear.

from Mrs. Beethoven from Baden Baden


(d?) after venue signifies a query regarding the Date of broadcast,
(??) signifies a query regarding Venue of broadcast


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