Northampton letter from grandad arrives 22 years late

A mother-to-be has received an unexpected letter from her deceased grandad 22 years after he posted it.

Zoë Fierro, from Northampton, opened the thank you note from Ronald Smith, from Long Buckby, who died in 1999.

The 44-year-old was left in tears and it “completely threw” her as she recognised his handwriting straight away.

“It feels like a real hello from him, ‘hi I’m still around, everything is good’,” she said.

When the letter, that had a second class stamp on it, arrived on Tuesday, “I saw the handwriting and thought umm that looks like my grandfather’s writing,” she said.

As he died 21 years ago she was left amazed and thought ‘it can’t be grandad’s writing, is someone playing a joke?’.

She skipped right to the end to check and it was signed ‘love from grandad’.

It was a thank you letter, it was posted in June 1998 a few weeks after Mr Smith’s birthday in May.

It was franked 4 June 1998, Northamptonshire, and was posted about 11 miles (18km) away from Long Buckby, she said.

For your card and vouchers, very much appreciated.

We were very pleased of your success in your college exams (workshops).

“It completely threw me, it just seemed like such a surreal thing to happen, how is he doing this now?

“It was just lovely, the recognition of his writing just came so easy.”

Royal Mail has been approached for comment.