Digital newspaper archives have become a constant source of fascination for me lately, with my credit card burning up subscriptions to several sites offering a glimpse into the past for as little as a tenner a month. Whilst browsing a few old American newspapers, I noticed a selection of seemingly random letters that had been written by residents of Cyprus between 1920 -1975. One letter in particular caught my attention. It was written by an American who had moved with his wife to Cyprus exactly 71 years ago. The writer, a Mr. E.V. Pedler, was employed at the Skouriotissa copper mine during the summer of 1938. In his dispatch, which would have been read by friends and family back in the USA, Pedler wrote of his experiences of life on this far flung outpost. To put this letter into some kind of perspective, 1938 was probably one of the most eventful years of the 20th Century. German troops were marching into the Sudetenland, the USA recovered from the great depression and Britain tried to avert war with Germany when Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement declaring “Peace in Our Time”. As all of these momentous events were taking place, the biggest problem facing Mr. Pedler here in Cyprus was the constant nuisance of sheep and goats blocking the roads near Nicosia. The letter was published in the “News & Views” section of the “Ogden Standard-Examiner” in Utah, with the following introduction: “A letter comes to us from Cyprus, that island in the Mediterranean which gave copper its name and is perhaps the most historic of all islands. Mr. E. V. Pedler and wife are enjoying their home on the island and express pleasure over the strange sights they experience”. Pedler writes of the beasts of burden, traffic practices, the inhabitants and the eastern customs. He documents observing the farm work being carried out by oxen and donkeys. “I've seen,” he relates, “the little donkeys with a load, a basket suspended in some manner, a man sitting astride and a dog perched atop everything. I marvel that they can move under such loads". “Travel rules here spring from England. The cars, on narrow roads, are right-hand drives, and that seems odd. Hazards of the highway are increased by roaming sheep. The natives, bicycles and dogs add to the peril of driving here”. Mr. Pedler did express extreme frustration with the roads and traffic in Cyprus. One can only imagine what he would make of the situation today. “Riding through the villages, one must proceed with extreme caution as many people stand in the centre of the street and are very slow in moving out of the way. Too many Cyprus dogs are running loose; half-starved, and, like the natives, prefer the middle of the road”. But his moans don’t stop there, Mr. Pedler continues, "The shops I have visited in Nicosia have an eastern custom. As you enter a store the owner will scurry around for a chair and invite you to a lemonade, soda or Turkish coffee—a delightful welcome. I was surprised at the fine selection of toilet articles, canned goods and materials one can purchase here”. "I have seen only a few camel trains, as they are being displaced by trucks. Olive trees are numerous and mean much to the natives, who subsist mainly on olives, Cyprus bread, cheese and fruits”. The newspaper added that the Pedlers lived in a modern home with an immense garden. “They have mountains on three sides, and to the north they can see the blue Mediterranean.” Just for good measure, Mrs. Pedler chipped in a few nice words, "It is an ideal location. All in all, I think Cyprus is a wonderful place and am content and happy in my newly adopted country". One can’t help wonder whatever happened to the Pedlers and what they would have made of Cyprus in 2009. As a footnote, the paper reports that the letter took 22 days on its journey over the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic Ocean to New York and on to Ogden. The cancelling stamp was marked "Cyprus oranges," proving that, even in 1938, advertising was alive and kicking in Cyprus. Wouldn’t it be lovely to book a few days in Cyprus in 1938?