What would it mean if you did this?

[MrsSiddon]

Gave back love letters and romantic gifts from your XH when you packed up his stuff for him to collect?

It's not something I'd do. I'd either keep them or burn bin them depending on the circumstances.

Return to Sender - worthless artefacts to recipient - you deal with it, means nothing to me now!

I would say that they actually care a great deal but are More interested in demonstrating to the ex that they don’t care.

Otherwise they would just get rid privately and without opening the door to potential drama.

I admit I was thinking along the lines of Duchess but was interested in hearing other potential reasons.

I would take it as them being really upset and bitter so acting in a rather petty fashion.

It's not something I'd ever see myself doing. But if I did it'd be out of spite.

FWIW, I'm divorced. Although it was amicable I was devastated. I DID throw my very expensive engagement ring off a bridge into a river. It was a letting go thing. Giving it back to him would have felt a lot more hostile somehow.

It isn't something I would do. It could be read as an attempt to remind him of the old days and thus rekindle his feelings.

I don't have an ex-husband but I've kept all the letters I've received from other exes, with the idea of reading them for nostalgia reasons, to remind me of my youth when I am old and grey.

Surely the only person that can answer your question is the one doing the returning?

Anything else is simply conjecture (and likely in the more extreme range of responses knowing MN!).

Well I guess the options are give them back or bin them. The former they will know for sure you haven't kept them, so I guess it depends if you care if they know.
I've always put things in the bin. Unless they can be sold for scrap or shredded because recycling

I’d think they were bothered

A bit attention seeking and they probably still care

Surely the only person that can answer your question is the one doing the returning?

That's why I asked what 'would' it mean. I can't ask (and wouldn't want to - it's DP's ex), just curious as I thought it was a bit weird.

Consensus is she still cares which I think is probably the case. I think she might also be trying to make a point of some kind/cause some sort of drama - fortunately I think he's truly oblivious

I’d think it’s about demonstrating that all the flowery words were ‘meaningless’ from your partner because the relationship had failed, so he might as well have them back.

It was a very long time ago - I'm sure whatever he said was sincere at the time.

Does he know you’ve been reading them?

It’s a bit dramatic - they might be entitled to a bit of drama though.

I haven't read anything. I only know there were some books, letters, cards etc in one of the boxes because he told me in a 'Why has she given me back this stuff?' kind of way.

The books have gone to the charity shop but I could have a look at the letters/cards if I wanted, they're in my garage, but I wouldn't want to. I can't think of any good that would come of reading my DP's 20 year old love letters to another woman!

I've sent an ex his pictures, pics in frames that were gifts & cards that belonged to him of us. I kept the ones that were mine, he had a right to do with them as he wished.

I didn't have the right to dispose of his mementos of the relationship, I would thought it petty and slightly malicious not to return them.

He left her recently to live with you?

No Diana. He just had to collect the last of his stuff from the loft of the former marital home before the end of January under the consent order relating to the divorce. He rents a room so doesn't have anywhere to store boxes. They have been separated a few years which predates our relationship.

Sorry, no OW drama here

Crunchy they are letters, cards and gifts (books of love poetry) from him to her i.e. not his mementos but hers. That's what I thought was odd and wondered what the motivation might be.

I did this once. I wanted to show them I didn’t care when actually I did, very much.

If they were in a box she may have simply forgotten about them.

I have been giving things back to stbexh for no other reason than I need to declutter the house to sell it and don't feel like they're mine to destroy.

don't feel like they're mine to destroy - but surely they are yours if they were given/sent to you?

You sound more like the dramatic one- it’s not your business. Why would you even think about her thinking- much less ask mumsnet about it? If anyone has an issue with it I’d be looking far closer to home.