Longest postal delay

The longest time elapsed between a letter being posted and its delivery is 89 years. In 2008, Janet Barrett, a guest-house owner in Weymouth, Dorset, UK, received the letter – an RSVP to a Boxing Day party invitation, which had been posted on 29 November 1919. The message inside read: “Dear Percy, Many thanks for the invitation, be delighted. See you on the 26th December. Regards Buffy,” and was delivered in a plastic bag with a note from the Royal Mail (the UK postal service) apologizing for any damage – but offering no explanation for the inordinately long delay.