...Edwardian Christmas Postcard

It is generally accepted that the modern Christmas celebration, of cards, decorated fir trees, carols and exchanges of presents, was a Victorian invention. Indeed, it is sometimes said that Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, was largely responsible for popularising the traditions. Others credit the influence of Charles Dickens' immensely successful 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. What do I think of Christmas?  Do I say "Bah Humbug"? No, I say "God bless us everyone".

...a concert ticket

This concert at the Crystal Palace Bowl in June 1972 was not exactly a washout, but those of us who came unprepared for a not untypical British summer's day suffered a real soaking from a thunderstorm.

The line-up of groups was great: Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, The Beach Boys. But the day was cold and miserable and, as one young attendee reflected, there was a lack of any atmosphere.

http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/Garden-party-72.html

The whole concert was apparently filmed, but only extracts of it now seem to be available.

Here is taste of that day: https://youtu.be/uS6m0fN-Ow0

...Royal Engineers' insignia

Here is another mystery. This is Royal Engineers insignia from the Second World War. But what is the significance of the warthog, since I can find no reference connecting it to the Royal Engineers?

Did the different companies of Engineers have different emblems?

...a mystery float

Here is a photograph dating from the early years of the twentieth century. Who were these people? Why had they decorated a float? Were they participating in a parade? There are no real clues in the photograph, except that they had paused on the road near a church or chapel, and that all were dressed in their best, other than the bearded gentleman holding the horse.

...German minefield Flag

This wartime souvenir was a marker for German minefields during the Second World War.

It is stamped RLM for Reich Air Ministry, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, which is a slight puzzle, though the person who acquired it did visit the V2 rocket launch site at Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1945 and may have collected it there.

The Germans used a variety of signs to mark minefields, usually with a skull and crossed bones, including a triangular cloth version of this sign.

...Royal signatures

This insert from a Christmas card sent in 1939 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth was rescued from a waste paper bin, hence the cigarette burn.

By legend, the card - of which the picture part is missing -  was sent to a close relative of Queen Elizabeth, the mother of our present Queen.

Then, as now, it was common for royal signatures to be done by an autopen machine, since so many royal signatures were required. And it is possible that the King's signature here was done in that manner. However, it is likely that the card was genuinely signed by Queen Elizabeth because she omitted the letter "R" for Regina from the end of her name, which you normally see on her autopen signature, and one would expect that a card sent to (say) a sister, aunt or cousin to be personally signed.

...a playful postcard

This postcard dated 1902 to a single lady has a message in backward writing and an inverted stamp. The positioning of a stamp on a postcard at this time often signified some friendly or romantic message, although sources differ somewhat as to the potential meanings.

http://www.philatelicdatabase.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Language-of-Stamps.jpg

This card was sent the very year that postcards first began to have a divided back on which to write both the address and the message.

I leave the reader to decipher the message, if they wish.