Couple tracks down author of moving 35-year-old toilet paper note left behind in their new home

When you move into a house, a bit of clean-up is inspected. There are many things a person can find when they’re making their house their own, but finding an empty toilet paper roll while renovating the loft is quite weird. It’s even weirder when the toilet paper roll has a friendly note written on it. That friendly note being over 35-years-old? Definitely the weirdest.

This is what happened to Charlotte England-Black and her partner when they moved into a house in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Upon finding the toilet paper roll in the loft, England-Black read the message that was handwritten in red marker. It turned out to be a welcome letter to the new homeowners:

My name is Emma Waddingham. My birthday is February the 4th. I was born in 1982. I’m seven years old and nearly eight. I hope you enjoy staying here. Lots of love, from a friend.

England-Black was touched by the time capsule of a note.

“It’d been up there years. It was discovered along with an old sink, a vintage cap, and some used overalls,” said England-Black. “It was really cute. She’d obviously written it hoping someone would find it one day. It really is quite touching.”

England-Black posted about the toilet roll note discovery on Facebook. She not only found the author within ten minutes, but found out that she still lived in Nottingham.

The now-43-year-old Emma Smith was shocked when Charlotte England-Black contacted her. While he couldn’t remember writing the note, Smith thought it was a nice “blast from the past” and drummed up memories of when she lived at the house during her young childhood.

"I don't remember doing the toilet roll thing and why I chose the toilet roll, we'll forever be wondering,” said Smith. "We have really fond memories of that house. I had amazing wallpaper in my bedroom of Tom and Jerry, we had a duck called Donald, my dad had a little boat that he restored down the side of the house. It was a lovely place to spend those years."

After thanking Smith for the welcoming message, England-Black has planned to return the toilet paper roll to its finding spot back in her newly refurbished loft. She wants to leave a nice note for whomever else moves into the home in the future. "I don't know if we're still here in another 35 years, but whoever's in the house then might find it.”

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There are some folks who also would love to leave time capsule notes for future homeowners like little Emma did, but just not with toilet paper rolls. Many people are leaving time capsules between the walls of a home during renovation so that a future family could discover them years and years later when a home is being remodeled again. Aside from handwritten notes, other items to consider adding to a time capsule include pictures of the house (since it will likely look different when the future family sees it), the current newspaper, coins, ticket stubs to a sporting event or concert, and other items that would capture the time, place, and era you’re currently living in.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover a time capsule the next time you move into a new place, and create connections that span across time.