A 58-year-old woman from Eastbourne, England, hoping to find romance through a message in a bottle, was stunned to receive a box of rocks and an angry letter in response—along with a $9 postage fee.
Lorraine Forbes, who has lived by the coast for over 30 years, said sending messages in bottles has long been a personal hobby. “I just wanted a bit of romance,” she said. “It has always been a hobby of mine. It is an old-fashioned thing.” Forbes said she has sent messages for years, with previous replies coming from as far as Holland and France.
On September 5, she sent out another message, placing her name and address in a plastic bottle and launching it into the sea. On October 7, a package arrived at her door, costing her £7 (about $9 USD) to accept. Inside was a pile of rocks and a message scrawled on the back of a John Lydon concert flyer: “Please stop throwing rubbish in the sea. It goes to Pevensey Bay or Normans Bay, one day later. Many thanks, a rubbish picker.”
“It was a cowardly litter picker who sent me the response,” Forbes said. “They were trying to make a point and teach me a lesson.”
Though she used plastic bottles to avoid shattered glass pollution, Forbes now says she understands the environmental criticism. She acknowledged that her personal information could lead to legal issues and admitted she may stop sending bottled messages altogether.
“I probably won’t keep doing it,” she said, reflecting on the harsh return and the potential consequences.
