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Journalism of Courage
Members of the Scunthorpe Litter Pickers group in North Lincolnshire, England have found a bottle with more than 50-year old messages inside it.
When the group broke the bottle to retrieve the messages earlier this month, they were delighted to find out that it was written by two teenage girls who had dropped the message in a bid to seek potential boyfriends. The letters dated August 9, 1966, were written by Jennifer Coleman and Janet Blankley.
In the two handwritten notes, the girls explained their physical features and wrote, “Anyone interested in a photo will be supplied with a photo, in exchange of a person (boy). No one under 16 or over 18.” The girls had also mentioned their addresses in the message.
The photos of the letters, which surprisingly remained intact even after 55 years, were shared on Scunthorpe Litter Pickers Facebook group.
Commenting on the interesting find, a Facebook user wrote, “Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the ‘pre Tinder’ hardship these teenagers endured….”
Soon, the group updated that Coleman, now 71, has been traced by Tracey Marshall, a member of the litter-picking crew. Marshall wrote in the comment section that she will be returning Coleman’s letter to her. She also wrote that Coleman was shocked at the discovery.
Coleman told the BBC that she isn’t in touch with Blankley anymore as she moved to Australia after finishing school. She added that they both were 15 when they threw the messages in Humber Estuary, which is near the place where the letters were recently discovered.
In the comment section of the Litter Pickers Facebook group, a Facebook user Paul Stebbing wrote that he got in touch with Blankley’s son and brother and told them about their discovery. He added that he wishes to hear from Blankley soon.
When asked how he was able to track Blankley’s relatives, Stebbing wrote, “I’m the Vice-Chairman of the Archives and Records Association for the North of England. I’ve been tracking down people for the last 30 years, and I have access to lots of sources and finding aids. I always enjoy a challenge ”
