Back in February 2015, just after Mum had died, I took a photo of all the postcards I’d sent her over the preceding four years and wrote a blog post about them.

As a result of having to clear the loft for the heat pump installation and for the additional loft insulation all of my “memory boxes” came back downstairs. I have a box for each of my parents, one for my grandparents, and a couple for myself, filled with miscellanea — school reports (for Mum and me), out-of-date passports (for Dad, Mum, and me), and even medals (my Grandad’s).

Before putting them back into the loft, I went through them all. In Mum’s box, I found the postcards. Taking them out, I was overwhelmed by just how many there were — a deep, 2.5-inch stack. I don’t feel the need to keep them now, a decade later. So, I removed the stamps and sent them off to the Dogs Trust, while the cards themselves went into the recycling.

Before letting them go, though, I wanted to capture just how substantial that stack was. So, I took a quick photo before they went on their way.