Moray schoolgirl's message in a bottle gets reply from Norway 31 years later

Moray schoolgirl's message in a bottle gets reply from Norway 31 years later

More than 30 years after a Scottish schoolgirl tossed a message in a bottle into the North Sea, she finally received a reply after it was discovered in Norway. Alaina Beresford, who was 12 years old when she sent the message as part of a school project in 1994, was delighted to hear that her letter had been found on a Norwegian island by a volunteer cleaning up the area. BBC Scotland News reported that Alaina was astonished to learn that her original letter was still in good condition after all those years.

The handwritten message was sent in an empty bottle of Moray Cup, a fizzy drink produced in north-east Scotland. In the letter, Alaina introduced herself as a 12-year-old from Portknockie, explaining that she was working on a project about water and decided to send a message in a bottle. She requested the finder to respond with their name, hobbies, location where they found the message, and some information about their area. The letter ended with a polite sign-off from Alaina, revealing her Scottish roots.

Fast forward 31 years, Alaina received a postcard from a woman named Pia from Germany, who stumbled upon her message on a tiny island near Vega in Norway. Pia, a volunteer beach cleaner, included photos of the find and expressed curiosity about the circumstances surrounding the message in the bottle. Alaina was taken aback by the unexpected reply and was able to reconnect with Pia through social media, where they shared memories and continued their correspondence. Despite the decades that have passed, the bond between the two women remains strong.

Reflecting on the experience, Alaina, now 42, expressed her amazement at the longevity of her childhood message and the connection it forged with a stranger across international borders. Recalling details about her teacher’s husband dropping the bottle into the sea during a fishing expedition, Alaina marveled at how vividly the memories resurfaced upon receiving Pia’s postcard. She shared her hope of maintaining a lasting friendship with Pia, who played a crucial role in reuniting her with a piece of her past

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