Do you remember aerogrammes?

[Dilbertian]

Those sheets of thin, pale blue paper, which folded in on themselves, sealed by three gummed flaps which you had to lick and fold down. They had red and blue diagonal stripes around edges on the address side. They were prepaid so did not need stamps, and had the Air Mail logo at top left.

We're immigrants, and I remember my mum writing several aerogrammes to her family every week. She'd fill all four panels, edge to edge, her writing half its normal size. Sometimes she'd write a letter all in one sitting, sometimes over 2-3 days.

These days we chat on the phone every few days, and dm asks about the children. But there's nothing to tell! Nothing's changed since we last spoke. How did she find so much to fill all those aerogrammes?

I was at boarding school and every term we had enough to last us the term. We sat down every Saturday morning to write a letter to send to our parents (75% of us had parents overseas). My Mum (in her 70's) still has airmail paper although not used for many years.

Yes! When I went on my gap year after uni in the 90s, I religiously sent weekly aerograms home to friends and family.

Yes, I remember these from writing to my family in Australia. Also the little airmail stickers for normal envelopes.

I knew there must be a reason why I do this! I had forgotten about postage for cards with no enclosures being cheaper if they were unsealed.

I'm 42 and vividly remember them. My dad worked abroad and we would get one at least once a week.

When I cleared out my mothers house a few years ago I threw away several of these hiding in her bureau. And some sealing wax. Actually lots 😂 I remember melting that onto plain envelopes just because I could and my mother going berserk because of the waste/cost. I never saw her use that wax though, ever 🤔

When mum died I found some unwritten ones in her stationery drawer

Mid-40s, and I would faithfully fill in one every week at boarding school. I'm sure my parents were glad to receive my inane witterings about that week's lacrosse practice, or the virtues of apricot crumble versus bananas with custard for pudding. Communicating by text or email wasn't an option until well after I left school.

Yes! And also some kind of wide strip of paper that you could stick around rolled up newspaper/magazine to send airmail.

During my year abroad I got sent the University newspaper every week by friends. It was published on Friday and always arrived to me on Wednesday - it was one of the highlights of my week coming home from work knowing I would have it waiting for me.

I'm 35 and I remember them! My favourite (much older) cousin was in the RAF when my sister and I were kids, and we would send them to him when he was abroad.