AMONG the historic items shown at a meeting of the Cumbria Postal History Society held in Kendal was a postcard in the Manx language which was sent to Dalton.

The card was dated March 1905 and sent to Miss Andrews in Cleater Street.

It showed a view of Glen Helen on the Isle of Man and would have been one among millions of cards sent in the years before the First World War.

Picture cards were put in albums as souvenirs and were used much as we might send an emails or text message - such was the speed and regularity of the postal service.

The message on the back of the card said: "I hope this will find a place in your album."

Simon Kelly, of Ambleside, won the society's annual postal history competition display based on the work of the Dale Head sub-post office, near Thirlmere, in Westmorland.

It operated from 1854 to 2006. Up to 1929 it got its mail bags of post to deliver to rurl homes by rail to Windermere and then from Keswick - which lost its railway links in the 1970s.

The sub-post office used to be in the King's Head Inn, Dale Head but later in Fisher Place, The Old School House and finally in Brotto Cottages.

Victorian letters were often folded over and sealed to form an envelope.

One example shown at Kendal was from December 30 in 1881 and sent to George Martin at Union Street, Dalton.

It was about the activities of the Dalton Club where Mr O.H. Bridgman was secretary.

It noted: "I beg to inform you that the annual general meeting and sale of newspapers will be held in the club room on Tuesday, the 3 rd of January, 1882, at 5.30pm, at the close of which the annual supper will be held at the Cavendish Arms at 7pm. Charge 2/6 (12p) per member."

One letter, dated 1847, had a total of five postal marking stamped on it as it travelled by horse and coach from Dent to Kirkby Lonsdale, via Sedbergh, Kendal and Burton.

There was also a letter of October 1840 which was sent by the "Dent Penny Post" - a survivor of old times as penny black postage stamps started to take over from May that year as a form of prepayment for sending letters.

Before then, the person receiving the letter had to pay the postage.

Our letters now have machine cancellations which tell you little about where it was sent from.

In the past, all towns - and even small villages - had their own handstamps.

When these metal stamps with a wooden handle were broken a temporary rubber stamp was provided which makes what is termed a "skeleton" mark.

These might only have been in use for a matter of weeks, so envelopes stamped with them are relatively rare.

One example shown at the Kendal postal history event was used on the back of a postcard at Dalton and dated July 17 in 1906.

The Cumbria Postcal History Society has another meeting with displays by members on Saturday, October 21, from 10.30am in the United Reformed Church Hall, off Highgate, Kendal.