Note on bottle a 'remarkable snapshot' of 1950s life

"The Best of Luck Mate. I hope you are not at war – it's a terrifying thing war."

A handwritten message left on an empty bottle of Black & White Scotch whisky 67 years ago - for someone to uncover in the future - has been found behind a staircase during the refurbishment of a building.

It was discovered by a joiner working at the Liversage Trust's almshouses on London Road, Derby, where a £3.4m refurbishment project is taking place.

The trust describes the message on the bottle - which also includes references to a Derby County match, a recent general election and the weather - as "a remarkable snapshot of life in Derby on the day it was hidden" in 1959.

The note, which was written on the back of a Ciro nylon hair net packet, reads: "The Best of Luck Mate. I hope you are not at war – it's a terrifying thing war.

"This was bricked up Oct 12th 1959. Just after the general election when the Conservatives got in by a 101 majority.

"It is raining in Derby now for the first time since about April after a first class summer. Derby 1 Portsmouth 0. Not doing so well this season Derby.

"Signed W H Braid, 3 Swarkestone Drive, Littleover."

The whisky in the bottle had "long since gone" but unopened bottles of a similar kind had sold for as much as £300 at auction, the trust said.

Andy Mellors, of the Liversage Trust, said: "Finding the bottle was interesting, but it was the note that really stopped us in our tracks.

"Someone took the time to leave a message for whoever might one day uncover it, never knowing if it would be found.

"The note captures an ordinary day in Derby's history, yet today it feels incredibly special.

"It gives us a small but very personal connection with someone who worked on these buildings decades ago."

Site manager Steve Wooddisse was removing the staircase in No. 87A with the joiner to create space for a new downstairs toilet at the Grade II listed almhouse.

The refurbishment will see the almshouses turned into 17 modernised homes and the trust says the adaptation aims to provide modern living while preserving the building's historic character.

The trust has now appealed for anyone who recognises the name W H Braid or their address in Littleover to get in touch.

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