Just a quick note

Elections in the UK are traditionally held on a Thursday, and there will be one today (8 September) in England for my local council, a by-election. From the array of political parties who are fielding candidates, only two have really bothered with electioneering in my area. The local Green candidate has been assiduously working and there are many visible signs of election posters, canvassing visits and deliveries of election material. The local Conservative party has pushed just one scrappy leaflet through the door. Silence from the rest. Among the Green election material, my partner has received the ‘quick note‘ shown here.

It is written in handwriting. And it was delivered in an envelope personally addressed – also using handwriting – to my partner and providing the first line of our address. I asked her, had she been fooled by it, when first opened did she think it was actually a handwritten note to her? The reply was that her eye went to the top of the note and there was neither an address nor a date and nor was she as the addressee actually named but referred to as ‘dear neighbour’. And then it went to the bottom where there is information about the printer and that it is printed on behalf of the Green Party. It interested and also amused, but it was clearly not intended to fool people but to intrigue them. It really does look at first glance like a personal missive, so her response to the ‘quick note’ is testimony to the power of a ‘real’ letter coming with the address of the writer, the date and a personal address.

Last updated: 8 September 2022