I’m a bit of a collectoholic, much to the annoyance of my wife. Usually of things that contain photographs, especially books and vinyl records. But on Saturday I found some old postcards in an antique shop in Shrewsbury. I wouldn’t normally buy these, but one in particular caught my eye. It’s just odd – a hand-tinted photo montage, with a touch of Terry Gilliam thrown in. It is almost sinister. There’s no reference as to what it represents – maybe The Water Babies – or perhaps it’s religious…….or both. Any suggestions?

Flicking through the the large box I also found some seaside cards, many retouched to within an inch of their lives. Was the grass always greener in the 1930’s? Not sure if they were ever considered reality, but I can remember seeing all the card carousels outside shops on my holidays to Swanage in the 1960’s. I bought a couple out of curiosity. And you couldn’t have a card without the classic line, “The weather is glorious here.” Maybe it was always sunny in Westcliff-on-Sea.

The last is a classic birthday card. You could probably find something with a similar feel in your local shop today, though not with the same class. I’d like to find more flower studies, especially the really brash, less tasteful ones. My wife doesn’t know this yet!