Maureen’s golden touch with winning postcard design
A Suffolk woman has won a national competition to design a postcard to mark the golden anniversary of the organisation which represents dealers in vintage postcards.
Maureen Barker, who lives in Wilby, Eye, came up with the winning design in an event run by the Postcard Traders Association (the PTA) to commemorate its 50th anniversary this year.
The PTA is a voluntary organisation which aims to represent dealers and promote postcard collecting, which has been a hobby in this country since Edwardian times.
Postcard collecting was the biggest hobby in the country in the years leading up to World War One, when millions of cards were sent every day as a way people regularly kept in touch before telephones were commonplace.
Mrs Barker, a collector for more than 30 years since moving to Suffolk, has been secretary for the Bury St Edmunds Postcard Club for the last seven years.
The PTA appealed to members of Britain’s network of postcard clubs to design a card to promote the hobby and Mrs Barker’s theme of the ‘Golden Oldies’ was a clear winner with judges.
Mrs Barker won a framed certificate showing her design which will also feature on a free 50th anniversary commemorative postcard given to every attendee at the four PTA two-day postcard fairs this year – starting with the Festival of Cards in Somerset later this month.
Mrs Barker said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and proud to have won the competition. It’s such an honour to see my name on the back of a postcard that will be distributed throughout the year to so many people.”
Mrs Barker bought her first postcards at a book fair in Long Melford when she found two images of her local village from the early 1900s.
She said: “That was the moment I became hooked. Since then, my collection has grown and I now collect mainly older views of many different villages, towns, and cities that I have a connection to.
“The villages usually remain unchanged but some of the towns and cities are almost unrecognisable. Postcards provide invaluable views of days gone by.”
Mrs Barker is pictured with PTA chairman Dave Davis. Mr Davis said: “We were so impressed with Maureen’s work and thrilled by her vibrant entry.”
For more information about the postcard club, email burystedmundspostcardclub@gmail.com, Facebook: Bury St Edmunds Postcard Club or contact Sue Rawles on 01284 769480.
