May 9th 1906 Dick to George Henry Wood

Rochester, kent to Victoria park, east london

30 miles

The Message

“ I tried the evolutions but failed"

Dick

The Sender

There is no clue as to what is meant by "the evolutions". And no clue as to who Dick was and why this was a message worth writing.

The Recipient

George Henry Wood (1875-?) was a fitter in an Ordinance Factory. He was the youngest of three children. His parents were Joseph Wood (1841-?) and Ann Bates (1837-). In 1898 he married Alice Maud Elson (1878-?). The records are difficult to follow for this family. It is possible that they emigrated to Canada.

The Places

Cadogan Terrace, Victoria Park, London

Rochester

What does the card say to us?

This is a brilliant example of a postcard acting in the same way as a modern day text. There is a simple message which presumably meant something to George Wood and referred to a previous exchange. Byut what is really means and who Dick was will remain a mystery.

The picture on the card shows Gads Hill in Rochester. Today Gads Hill is an independent school. Previously it was owned by Charles Dickens. No obvious connection to "the evolutions".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gads_Hill_Place