Brendon Swallow discovered a 71-year-old letter hidden inside a wall niche behind a wardrobe while renovating his home in Great Britain, according to news agency Jam Press.
Swallow came across the dusty bundle 13 years after moving into the property. The hidden package contained historical notes written by a working electrician and his teenage apprentice in March 1955.
The main message was written on March 1, 1955, by electrician Gordon Hopper. In his letter, Hopper detailed his daily life at the time, recording the size of his salary, local weather conditions, his military service, and the political atmosphere of the era.
Attached to Hopper's letter was a note written by Brian McDaid. McDaid recorded that he was working as Hopper's apprentice at the age of 18 years and three months, and noted that he was employed by the company Thompsons of Hull.
Discovery inside wall niche
The documents had been placed inside a small niche in the wall behind a cabinet. The dusty bundle remained hidden for seven decades until Swallow uncovered the opening during home renovation work.
Thompsons of Hull operated out of Kingston upon Hull, a port city in East Yorkshire, England. Tradesmen across post-war Britain frequently left notes and items inside wall cavities or under floorboards to document their work for future generations.
Plans for a modern time capsule
Swallow said that he now wants to find more information about both Hopper and McDaid. He explained that he plans to place their original letters into a time capsule, add a new note of his own, and seal it for future residents.
Similar historic discovery in Derby
The discovery follows a similar find in Derby, a city located in the East Midlands region of England. Workers renovating a shelter in the city found a glass bottle containing a handwritten note written 67 years earlier.
That earlier note opened with a message wishing the finder good luck. The writer expressed hope that the person reading it was not at war, describing conflict as a terrible thing.
