Historic hidden letter discovered in cigarette packet

Almost 40 years after an electrician hid a letter beneath floorboards of a home he was renovating, the note has been reunited with his family.

Fred Stewart's letter, dated 18 May 1986, was left at a house in Amesbury, Wiltshire, and detailed points of interest at the time, including Stewart's wage of £3.75 an hour and that Liverpool beat Everton in the FA Cup by 3-1.

His son Dave Stewart, from Urchfont, said he was reunited with the "treasured" note after a social media campaign.

"[The owner] could have thrown it out, but he went on Facebook and some fantastic people helped [find us]... It's amazing," he told Radio BBC Wiltshire.

Stewart said his dad was 52 at the time he wrote the note.

"He was obviously having his break and managed to write this note and put it in a cigarette packet after finishing.

"Andy, who found it, passed it on and it's a treasure really.

"We're so proud… so delighted," he added.

The note was first found 10 years ago but was only remembered when the owner was having a clear-out and he began looking for the family.

Stewart said he was about 21 when the letter was written, but he had no idea at the time, so discovering it now came as a "total surprise".

His father died in July 2001, but Stewart said he was sure his father was "looking down from the sky, so pleased this message has got back to us as a family".

The note that mentioned Russia, Glastonbury, "lots of rain" and signed off as 'Fred Stewart, sparkie' will be framed and treasured, Stewart said.

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