When was the last time you wrote someone a letter?

So here's a question for you... (and I think your answer will depend on your age).

When was the last time you wrote someone a letter?

Or, depending how old you are - have you EVER written anyone a letter?!!

I started thinking about letters last week because I was talking about when I took a year out to go travelling. I was in touch with everyone via the internet, but a couple of my friends used to write me letters and then send them to the PO Box address of the town or village I was travelling to so that when I arrived, I'd have a letter waiting for me from home.

All of those letters used to make me so happy!

They represented a friendly voice from back home, and brought me up to date with all the news and gossip. I'd literally rip them open, sit down on the first bit of pavement I could find, and read them from front to back (quite often, twice).

I know for the people writing them, they probably thought their news was boring in comparison to my travels. But honestly, I loved hearing about everything back home, even if in their eyes it felt a little mundane (it certainly never felt that way to me).

One of the reasons I love letters so much is that it is so much easier to gauge the mood of the person writing to you. There's something about emails, texts, WhatsApp or Social Media posts that makes them so much more easier to misconstrue. Things have changed a little thanks to the invention of emojis, but still...

With letters, you can literally feel the emotion behind the words.

I've decided that over the summer, I'm going to go back through my box of letters and read them all again, just to see how much I've changed (and how much the letters have dated me!) And, interestingly, how many of those letter writers I'm still in touch with.

But thinking about all of this has made me realise how much I've missed getting letters. So I'm going to try something new this week - a challenge!

I'm going to challenge all of you to nominate five of your friends to write to someone close - either a friend, partner, or family member. Then, whoever writes their letter needs to follow up with the person they wrote to in a few days time to see how it made them feel.

Write about anything.

How good - or bad - you week is, and why. How much they mean to you. How much you miss them. Or something you love about them. Whatever you're feeling, just put it down, and get it out there. See how long it takes for you to get a call telling you how happy you've made them.

As for me, I'm nominating five of my friends and G (and you have to do it guys, please, just for me!)

* G, I'm nominating you to write a letter to The Girl while she's away, that she can open when she gets back...

* Soulie, I'm nominating you to write one to me (because you're always telling me how you're not very good with words, but really, you are).

* Lizzie (Elizabeth) You need to write one to your soon-to-be-son telling him how excited you're going to be when he arrives (and if I was going to slip an emoji in here, I'd make it a big, beaming sunbeam!)

* Amy, I know you love English, and you have a super busy life where you probably don't have a second to spare... but I am nominating you to write to Craig, about whatever it is you want to write .

And finally,

* Tunde, I know I haven't spoken to you properly in ages, but how about now that you've become a new parent, you write a letter to your mum talking about all the memories you have of her as your mum.

Go on guys, make someone's day :-)