Things We Used To Get Excited About In The Post

There was a time when hearing the letterbox clatter could genuinely make your day. You might be halfway through breakfast, watching television or getting ready to leave the house when that familiar sound came from the front door. Someone had been to the post, and there was always a small possibility that something interesting had arrived.

Perhaps it was a letter from a friend, a magazine you’d been waiting for, a parcel containing something you’d saved up to buy or a colourful catalogue that promised hours of entertainment. Whatever it was, opening the post could become a little event in itself.

Today, things are rather different. Our inboxes fill up with messages, shopping updates arrive on our phones, and we can order something online in the morning and track its journey throughout the day. We know when a parcel has been dispatched, when it has reached the local depot and, sometimes, precisely how many stops the delivery driver has left before reaching our front door.

It’s certainly convenient, but the surprise has largely disappeared. We often know exactly what’s coming and when it’s expected to arrive.

For those who grew up in Britain during the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the post offered something different. It brought a little mystery into everyday life, and occasionally, something genuinely exciting. Here are some of the things that could turn an ordinary delivery into the highlight of the day.

The Argos Catalogue: A World Of Possibilities

Few printed publications generated quite the same level of excitement as the Argos catalogue. It was more than a shopping guide. For many children, it was an enormous book of possibilities, filled with toys, games, electronics and gadgets that seemed capable of transforming everyday life.

A new catalogue arriving at home could provide hours of entertainment. You could work your way through the toy section, study the latest games consoles, admire bicycles you couldn’t afford and identify dozens of things you were convinced you needed immediately.

The best part was that you didn’t have to be buying anything to enjoy it. You could simply browse, making mental shopping lists and imagining what you might choose if money were no object. Some children carefully circled items or made lists for birthdays and Christmas, while others treated the catalogue as a personal wish book.

The arrival of a fresh edition was particularly exciting because it meant new products to discover. Perhaps there was a new toy you hadn’t seen before, a different colour of something you already owned or a gadget that looked as though it belonged in a science-fiction film.

Of course, browsing was only the beginning. If you actually wanted something, you needed to persuade an adult that it was worth buying, establish whether it was available and, in many cases, wait for the appropriate occasion.

That could involve weeks of negotiation, but the catalogue kept the dream alive.

Nowadays, we can browse thousands of products online, compare prices and watch demonstration videos. Yet there’s something rather satisfying about remembering a time when a large, glossy catalogue could provide an entire afternoon’s entertainment without needing a screen, a charger or a Wi-Fi connection.

Letters From Friends And Family

Before instant messaging and social media, receiving a letter could be a genuinely personal experience.

Perhaps you had a friend who had moved away, a relative who lived in another part of the country or a pen pal you had never met in person. When their letter arrived, you had something tangible to read, keep and return to whenever you wanted.

For teenagers, letters could be particularly important. You might write to a friend during the school holidays, exchange news about what everyone had been doing or share details that felt too personal to discuss in front of other people.

There was also the excitement of recognising the handwriting on the envelope. You didn’t need to open it to know who had sent it, and sometimes that was enough to put a smile on your face.

Writing a letter required a little more effort than sending a message today. You needed paper, a pen, an envelope and a stamp. You had to think about what you wanted to say, write it down and then wait for the other person to receive it.

If you made a mistake, you couldn’t simply edit the message before sending it. You might cross something out, start again or decide that the untidy version would have to do.

The waiting was part of the experience. Once a letter had been posted, there was nothing to do but hope it arrived safely and wait for a reply. You couldn’t check whether the other person had read it, and you certainly couldn’t send a follow-up message asking why they hadn’t answered.

Today, communication is faster and easier, but a handwritten letter still has a quality that a phone notification cannot quite reproduce. It’s a little piece of somebody’s time, effort and personality, delivered directly to you.

The Birthday Cards That Made The Day

Birthdays were another occasion when the post could bring something special.

A pile of cards arriving in the days before your birthday was a reassuring sign that people had remembered. Each envelope held the possibility of a message, a joke or perhaps a little money tucked inside.

For children and teenagers, the money could be especially exciting. A card containing a £5 note might provide the funds for a new record, a magazine, sweets or a trip into town with friends. Even a smaller amount felt significant when you had very little spending money of your own.

The cards themselves could become keepsakes. Some had glitter, others featured cartoon characters, and plenty contained messages that were funny, sentimental or deliberately embarrassing. You might display them around the house for a few days before eventually putting them away.

There was also a certain satisfaction in receiving a card from somebody you hadn’t seen for ages. It reminded you that they were thinking about you, even if you didn’t speak regularly.

Of course, birthdays weren’t the only occasions for cards. Christmas brought an even greater flood of envelopes, with relatives sending greetings from across the country and sometimes from overseas. Opening the post during December could become a small daily ritual, especially when familiar names appeared among the envelopes.

These days, many people send digital greetings, which are quick and convenient. But a physical card still has a particular charm. It can sit on a shelf, be read again and remind you of the person who sent it long after the occasion has passed.

Magazines You Had Been Waiting For

If you subscribed to a magazine or regularly bought a particular title, seeing it arrive through the letterbox could be a highlight of the week or month.

For children and teenagers, magazines offered a mixture of entertainment, information, posters, puzzles and competitions. Depending on your interests, you might have been waiting for the latest football news, pop gossip, computer game reviews, comic strips or stories about your favourite television programmes.

A magazine wasn’t something you could scroll through in a few minutes and forget about. You might read it from cover to cover, return to your favourite features, complete the quizzes and study every photograph.

Posters were particularly valuable. They could be carefully removed and displayed on bedroom walls, joining a growing collection of pop stars, footballers, film actors or whatever happened to dominate your interests at the time.

Some magazines also included free gifts, which could make the arrival even more exciting. A plastic toy, a badge, a set of stickers or a small gadget might not have been worth very much, but it could feel like a bonus that made the whole purchase worthwhile.

For adults, the excitement could be just as real. A favourite hobby magazine might contain useful advice, new products to consider or an article about something you had been wanting to try.

The internet now provides instant access to news, reviews and specialist information, often free of charge. Yet magazines had a slower, more focused appeal. You could sit down with a cup of tea, forget about everything else and enjoy something created around your interests.

And unlike an endless social media feed, the magazine eventually came to an end. You could put it down knowing that you had finished it, rather than wondering whether there might be something more interesting just a few swipes away.

The Record, Tape Or CD You Had Ordered

Buying music used to involve a little more patience than it does today.

If you wanted an album that wasn’t available in your local record shop, you might need to order it and wait for it to arrive. Perhaps you’d seen it advertised in a magazine, heard about it from a friend or decided that you absolutely had to own the latest release from your favourite artist.

Once the order had been placed, the waiting began.

You couldn’t simply open a streaming service and listen immediately. You had to wait for the record, cassette or CD to turn up, and that anticipation could make the eventual arrival feel like a major event.

When the parcel finally arrived, there was the pleasure of opening it, examining the cover and reading the sleeve notes. If it was a cassette or CD, you could study the artwork, check the track listing and decide which song to play first.

Records had their own rituals. You removed the disc from its sleeve, placed it carefully on the turntable and lowered the needle. Cassettes required less ceremony, but you still had to make sure you had the right tape ready before pressing play.

There was also the excitement of owning the music rather than simply accessing it. You could build a collection, arrange it on a shelf and lend albums to friends, although lending a favourite cassette could involve a certain amount of anxiety about whether it would ever come back.

Today, music is available almost instantly, and that is a wonderful convenience. But the arrival of a physical album could feel like receiving a little piece of something you loved, rather than simply pressing a button on a screen.

Christmas Wish Books And Toy Catalogues

As Christmas approached, the post could become even more interesting.

Toy catalogues and Christmas shopping brochures arrived at just the right time to fuel children’s imaginations. Pages were filled with dolls, action figures, board games, construction sets, bicycles and electronic gadgets that seemed to promise the perfect Christmas morning.

The catalogue would often be studied with extraordinary concentration. You might mark the items you wanted, rank them in order of importance and then revise the list when you discovered something even more exciting.

Some children made their selections with military precision, ensuring that parents understood exactly which toy they meant. Others left catalogues open at strategic pages, hoping that an adult might happen to notice a particular item.

The arrival of a catalogue could also become a family activity. Children would sit with their parents, discuss possible presents and negotiate the difference between what they wanted and what they might reasonably expect to receive.

Of course, there was always the danger of asking for something that had been discontinued, was too expensive or simply wasn’t available. But that didn’t stop the planning.

The anticipation was part of the magic. Christmas was still weeks away, yet a glossy catalogue could make it feel much closer.

Nowadays, children can watch toy demonstrations online, browse enormous shopping websites and add items to digital wish lists. The choice is greater than ever, but a physical catalogue had a charm of its own. It was something you could sit with, share and return to, gradually building excitement as the big day approached.

The Mysterious Parcel You Weren’t Expecting

Not every exciting delivery was something you had ordered yourself.

Sometimes a parcel arrived from a relative, a friend or somebody who had remembered an occasion you had almost forgotten. You might recognise the handwriting on the label, notice a familiar return address or simply wonder what could possibly be inside.

For children, an unexpected parcel could be especially intriguing. It might contain a present, a book, some sweets or an item that had been sent by a grandparent who lived too far away to visit regularly.

There was something lovely about the mystery. Unless somebody had told you what was coming, you had no way of knowing what the parcel contained. The packaging offered clues, but the contents remained hidden until it was opened.

Even adults could experience that little surge of excitement. Perhaps an old friend had sent something, a relative had remembered a special occasion or a purchase you had forgotten about had finally arrived.

Of course, not every parcel contained something wonderful. Sometimes it was an item you had ordered weeks earlier, and occasionally it turned out to be something entirely practical. But the possibility of a surprise was enough to make the arrival interesting.

Today’s delivery notifications have taken some of the mystery away. We often know what is coming, where it is and when it will arrive. We can even watch a parcel travel across the country in real time.

That is useful when you’re waiting for something important, but there was something rather enjoyable about having no idea what might be waiting on the doorstep.

The Mail-Order Offers That Seemed Too Good To Miss

Post was also a gateway to all sorts of offers, competitions and mail-order opportunities.

Magazines and catalogues carried advertisements for gadgets, collectibles, novelty gifts and products that seemed to offer remarkable value. You might discover a pocket calculator, a remote-control car, a new set of pens or an unusual gadget that you had never previously considered buying.

Some offers involved collecting tokens or sending away for a product, which meant the process could take weeks. You might need to save up, fill in a form, find a cheque or postal order and then wait patiently for the item to arrive.

The waiting could be frustrating, particularly when you had become convinced that the product would transform your life. But when the parcel finally appeared, the delay often made the contents feel more valuable.

There was also the excitement of receiving a competition prize. Even a small gift could feel like a major achievement, especially if you had entered a competition in a magazine and almost forgotten about it.

The postal system connected people to products and opportunities that weren’t necessarily available in their local shops. It allowed you to order something from another part of the country and have it delivered directly to your home.

Online shopping has made that process much faster and easier. We can compare products, read reviews and place an order in minutes. But there was a certain satisfaction in filling out a form, posting it and waiting for the result, knowing that you had set something in motion.

The Letters That Brought Important News

Not every memorable letter contained a present or a magazine. Sometimes, the most significant post was a simple envelope carrying news that mattered.

It might have been a letter offering you a job interview, confirming a college place or telling you that an application had been successful. Perhaps it was news from a relative, an invitation to a special event or a message from someone you hadn’t heard from for a long time.

Before email became a normal part of everyday life, important information often arrived through the post. That meant the letterbox could bring a mixture of excitement and apprehension, particularly when you were waiting to hear about something that could affect your future.

There was a physical quality to the experience. You could hold the envelope, examine the return address and turn it over in your hands before opening it. Sometimes, you could guess what it contained from the type of envelope or the logo printed on the front.

Waiting for a reply could be difficult, especially when you had no way of knowing whether your letter had arrived. You simply had to give it time, check the post and hope that the answer would come soon.

Today, many important messages arrive by email or through online accounts. They are quicker and easier to manage, but a formal letter can still feel significant. Opening an envelope containing good news remains a satisfying experience, even when you have already received an electronic notification.

The medium has changed, but the feeling of anticipation hasn’t disappeared entirely.

When The Post Was An Event In Itself

Perhaps the biggest difference between then and now is how we think about the post.

Today, many of us associate the letterbox with bills, official correspondence, takeaway menus and the occasional parcel. We may check our email more often than we check the doormat, and the arrival of a delivery is usually something we have already been expecting.

For an earlier generation, the post could be a source of entertainment as well as communication. It brought letters from friends, birthday cards, magazines, catalogues and the occasional unexpected surprise. It could connect us with people who lived far away, introduce us to products we had never seen and give us something interesting to read on an otherwise ordinary day.

There was also a sense of patience involved. You sent something away and waited. You couldn’t refresh a tracking page every few minutes or send a message asking whether your letter had arrived. You simply trusted that the process would take its course.

That waiting sometimes felt frustrating, but it could make the eventual arrival more satisfying. Something you had been anticipating for days or weeks had finally appeared, and opening it became a small moment of happiness.

Of course, nobody needs to abandon modern technology in favour of handwritten letters and printed catalogues. Instant messaging, online shopping and digital services have made many parts of life much easier.

But there is something worth remembering about the excitement of receiving something physical, especially when it was unexpected. It was a reminder that somebody had taken the time to write, send or choose something for you.

And perhaps that’s what we miss most. It wasn’t really the post itself. It was the possibility that, tucked between the ordinary envelopes, there might be something that made the day feel a little more special.

Over to you: What used to get you most excited when the post arrived? Was it the Argos catalogue, a favourite magazine, a birthday card with money inside, a letter from a friend or a parcel you had been waiting weeks for? And do you still get that little burst of excitement when something unexpected drops through the letterbox?