When a recent delivery of mail arrived at a West Cumbrian business one letter stood out from the rest.
As Walkingshaw Volkswagen staff looked through the delivery they noticed one of the envelopes had taken a while to reach the business.
For the letter was posted in 1993, meaning it had taken 18 years to reach its destination, even though it was sent from a company just 18 miles down the road in Calderbridge.
The letter was sent to Walkingshaw’s old address, but even more remarkable was the contents of the envelope; it contained a cheque for a payment on a car.
Andy Walkingshaw, brand manager at Walkingshaw Volkswagen, said: “We noticed the letter was unusual because it was in a plastic bag with a note from the Post Office offering apologies for the poor condition of the item.
“When we looked at the date stamp we realised just how long it had taken to reach us and were amazed.
“I don’t think the company that issued the cheque is still in existence, but anyway the delay would mean it could no longer be cashed. There must have been some amusing conversations back in 1993 along the lines of ‘the cheque’s in the post’.
“Although this was before my time and no-one here can remember the incident, I’m sure the money would have been paid eventually.
“We’ve been in business since 1968 and a Volkswagen franchise since 1985, but we’ve never had anything arrive this late before, post or otherwise.
“We moved to our new site at Lillyhall in 1999 so for the letter to reach us after so long is remarkable.”
The envelope and its contents have now been filed in the company’s archives but the incident is still providing a talking point for staff and customers alike.