Love is always in the air in the tenderly titled town of Lover.
A small community in South West England’s Wiltshire county, the village’s name is actually pronounced like “low-ver” but that doesn’t stop hopeless romantics from moving there just so they can call the poetically named place their home. And every Valentine’s Day, Lover’s post office is reliably flooded by pen pals seeking out its adorable postmark.
Indeed, the village’s main post office has in fact closed, but due to popular demand the town opens a temporary one each Valentine’s Day week in order to keep alive the tradition of stamping mail with the postmark “Lover.”
The venture is a result of the village’s Lover Community Trust which, over the past five years during the week of Feb. 14, has postmarked over 8,000 postcards and letters with an enchanting stamp reading “Sent from Lover.”
Love is always in the air in Lover, Wiltshire. SWNS
It’s not unusual for Lover’s post office to see thousands of letters come through around Valentine’s Day. SWNS
Jody Tauman holds daughter Lucy, 2, as she drops a Valentine’s Day card in the mailbox. SWNS
Nicola Dew organizing valentines at the Lovers Darling Cafe. SWNS
At Lover residents work a card signing booth at the community’s annual holiday market. SWNSThe Royal Mail-supported endeavor is run by volunteer post workers and paired with a tradition of locals decorating the town with heart-shaped bunting, wreaths and balloons.
Residents of the pretty village also hang heart-shaped bunting, wreaths and balloons on their garden fences and front doors. “Having the backing of the Royal Mail seems to have made a big difference as they’re able to get more cards to more locations all over the globe,” said Lover resident Jill Stark, 71, SWNS reported. “I can see the post office from my back window and it seems to be thriving with business which is so lovely to see.”
Jill and her husband Fred, 72, moved to Lover after falling in love with a home in the village’s center — as well as its name.
“The name Lover really stood out to us, and although the property itself and the village were hugely important, that name really helped us make a final decision,” said Fred. “Being the ‘lovers from Lover’ just sounded too good of an opportunity to miss so we went for it.”
Lover residents Jill and Fred Stark. SWNS
It is a tradition to decorate the town in hearts before Valentine’s Day. SWNS
The Lover community gathers annually for Valentine’s Day festivities. SWNS
The Darling Cafe is Lover’s holiday hub. SWNS
Ornate card crafts are another way Lover shows their love. SWNSWhen they arrived, however, they learned that Lover is pronounced differently than the word usually is said, a fact they found “actually quite funny.”
That was 18 years ago.
“The village has such an amazing vibe and there is a real feeling of togetherness about the place,” added Jill. “We felt that as soon as we arrived and every day since — we’re just so happy here.
