A chance encounter led to a heart-warming story that would not be out of place in a cosy TV drama.
Lynda and Jim Oliver, from Norwich, were able to repay a small act of kindness by a stranger, thanks to the ingenuity of a Norfolk postman.
The couple's adventure started when they were walking through the picturesque village of Brampton, near Aylsham, and decided to stop at a bench for a rest.
They started chatting with one of the villagers and taken by his kindness, wrote him a thank you letter when they returned home - but they couldn't remember his name or address.
Despite the envelope only giving the stranger's dog's name and a vague description of where he lived a diligent postman managed to deliver it to the right home, sparking a new friendship between the couple and the man.
A WINTER WALK
Mr and Mrs Oliver were walking through the Norfolk countryside in December when they took a break on a bench in Brampton.
The seat, situated near a red telephone box, overlooks a single-track road and is next to a wooden stall where a neighbour sells jam to raise money for the local parish church.
While the couple enjoyed their picnic of sandwiches, the owner of the bench, Jon Sawyer-Stone, stepped out to take his dog, Dougie, for a walk and stopped to greet them on his way.
Mr Oliver, 84, said: "We saw this bench in the garden and we sat down. Then the owner came out and we apologised for sitting on his bench but he said, 'no, no, no please help yourself'."
While they were chatting, Mrs Oliver, 83, wanted to purchase a jar of jam but was 25p short, which Mr Sawyer-Stone stepped in to cover for her.
He also offered to drop the couple back at their car, which they had parked at the church in Burgh, less than a mile away.
The couple were so taken by his small gestures, they decided to post him a card thanking him for his kindness.
The only problem was they had not taken his name or his address.
LETTER OF NO ADDRESS
Mrs Oliver said she only remembered Dougie's name and that the bench was next to an old telephone box.
When addressing her envelope, she wrote: "To the man who lives next to the red phone box library in Burgh or Brampton near Aylsham, Norfolk. He has a dog called Dougie."
She said: "I hoped it would get to him because we just felt so grateful for his kindness and then I thought that would be the end of it."
But a few weeks later, the couple received a letter through the post signed Jon and Dougie.
"All thanks to the excellent detective work of the postman," Mrs Oliver added.
Her husband, who has turned his love for marmalade into a hobby of making it himself, said he wanted to give the Brampton Samaritan a jar as a thank you.
FRIENDS REUNITED
In an unexpected twist, the strangers were then reunited after Mrs Oliver wrote to this newspaper praising the dedication of her local postie.
She said: "It feels like a dream, what a lovely way to spend an afternoon."
Mr Oliver, who was thrilled with the reunion, added: "To actually get back to the village and meet him was brilliant and now we've made a friend."
Mr Sawyer-Stone, 60, said the bench, which was previously in his back garden, was then brought to the front by him and his wife for better use.
He said: "Children would play in the streets and then parents would gather at the bench and have a chat.
"Now we have bench parties and there are some nights where they go on until 11pm.
"It was such a surprise when we got the card. This is what the bench was made for."
Mr Oliver added: "I mean have we not got a wonderful postal service?"