Plymouth Hoe

This vintage postcard features a colour image of Plymouth Hoe. There is a small patch of mould on the top right hand corner, and on the left is an embossed address, presumably of the retailer, part of which reads "Lushington Road, Eastbourne."

The back of the card features a message handwritten in pencil which reads:

"On Friday the 31st I went on the beech (sic) to dig in the sand when all at once I heard a noise over my head. I looked up and saw a water plain [waterplane?] or else it was an aireplaine [airplane/aeroplane?]. I am drawing for the lady I am with a picture post card from your loving Francis and West."

The postcard is addressed to Mrs Rabarts (or Raburts) at 78 Chesnut Road, Plumstead (possibly now Chestnut Rise in Plumstead). The back also has a green halfpenny George V stamp. A postmark is over some of the written message and shows the date "31 Jul 1914", which means that this postcard was sent just two days after the outbreak of the First World War.