S.A.U.S.A.G.E.S

Dedicated to Ronnie, Deg and Dorothy.

In the time before blogs, texts and phones, telegrams were used to communicate short messages, using a pay per letter system.

In the time before I, or my parents were born, and around the age of 10-15 years old, depending on who you talk to, my grandpa and his older brother used to cycle their long summer holidays through the fens and Norfolk Broads. 

I can just imagine the long flat roads spooling out before them, in the days of the hot summer, their dark hair getting damp with perspiration and perhaps chewing nonchalantly on some corn growing in the fields either side of the road.

I’m not sure where they stayed, but everytime they got there, they sent a telegram to my great-granny (Nana) with the code S.A.U.S.A.G.E.S to save their pennies and let her know they were safe. 

Every day my Nana received a telegram through the letterbox and she found out where her boys had got to.  Safe and sound.

This is my S.A.U.S.A.G.E.S.  I’m in Bath – destination reached one day early.

Here’s to Ronnie, Deg, and Nana!