Help solve mystery of 40-year-old Stamford letter

Estate agents in Leicester are looking to Stamford to help a solve the mystery of a letter that arrived at their office – four decades after it was first posted.

The return to sender letter – postmarked August 21, 1975 – arrived intact at the Leicester Halford Street office of Harrison Murray.

The envelope bears the Harrison Murray logo of the time, along with a printed address to The Occupier of 100 Roman Bank in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

The typed letter, on Harrison Murray letterhead, contains details of a proposed redevelopment of the Stamford Laundry premises close to the address, and it is thought to be one of many letters sent to local residents informing them of a possible change of use to the site.

Harrison Murray estate agency manager Zara Laxman said: “We were all very excited and intrigued when the letter arrived in the office recently – having looked at the postmark and seeing how long ago it was originally sent.

“A member of staff opened the letter and the mystery now centres around its whereabouts for 40 years and what the people at Roman Bank in Stamford thought to the plans at the time.”

If you think the letter – posted from the same Halford Street branch address - was intended for you or you received it by mistake and posted it back, e-mail leicester@harrisonmurray.co.uk.

Zachary Oldershaw, 20, negotiator at Harrison Murray is pictured with the letter – posted two decades after he was born!