UK woman receives reply to job application sent 48 years ago

A UK woman received a response to her job application nearly 50 years after she sent it after the letter was found stuck behind a drawer in a post office.

In Short

• A UK woman received response to a job application she had sent 48 years ago
• The application letter has been stuck behind drawer at post office since 1976
• Tizi Hodson had applied for a position as a motorcycle stunt rider

Waiting for a job application reply can be nerve-wracking, but for a 70-year-old woman from the UK, the wait stretched nearly half a century.

Tizi Hodson had applied for a position as a motorcycle stunt rider in 1976, but the response finally arrived 48 years later, thanks to a letter that had been stuck behind a drawer in the post office.

Hodson, now a seasoned daredevil, was stunned when the letter resurfaced. “It was amazing to get it back. I always wondered why I never heard back – now I know why,” she told BBC as she laughed at the long-delayed response.

Back in 1976, Hodson had her heart set on becoming a motorcycle stunt rider. In a London flat, she carefully typed out her application, even omitting her gender to avoid discrimination.

“I didn’t want them to know I was a woman; I thought it would lower my chances,” she said, adding, “I even foolishly told them I wouldn't mind how many bones I might break, as I was used to it.”

Although that dream never materialised, Hodson’s life took plenty of adventurous turns. She built an impressive career as a snake handler, horse whisperer, aerobatic pilot, and flying instructor, travelling across the globe.

“I’ve had such a wonderful time, even if I’ve broken a few bones along the way,” she said.

The letter was returned to her with a handwritten note that read: “Late delivery by Staines Post Office. Found behind a drawer. Only about 50 years late.” To this day, Hodson marvels at how they tracked her down. “I’ve moved over 50 times and even changed countries a few times, so it’s a real mystery how they found me,” she said.

When asked if she held out hope of a response at the time, Hodson admitted she sent out more applications but never heard back about the stunt job.

Still, the return of her letter all these years later prompted her to reflect. “If I could talk to my younger self, I’d tell her to go ahead and do everything I’ve done. Life’s been thrilling, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”