Neglected?

The biggest problem I have found since starting letterboxing is the state of disrepair a lot of boxes are in. I'd say about 1 in 3 have been waterlogged and therefore the notepad is unreadable a few I have found have had perished stamps in them, but I do not feel it is my place to remove somebody elses box from it's hole. Is this normal or am I just being unlucky with the boxes that i'm finding?

We got lucky at scarey tor and found a box where the first finder dated it as 1996! But what is the point if the owner never collects their book to review their messages? Am I wrong in thinking that's the point in putting boxes out in the first place?

Hi davejpary i`m afraid it probebly is the norm as I had the same last week on Saddle tor ,I removed three boxes as they were mostly distroyed and water had ruined the books.

I think you've both just been really unlucky. Although there are a number of spoilt boxes out their, the vast majority that i've found have been absolutely fine and I love sitting there on a dry day thumbing through the books to see who has visited.

I really love to find boxes that haven't been found in a long while - more than 2 or 3 years previous.

Would agree with Tina here. Many boxes are in great condition - and if the weather is favourable - not too cold, not too windy and not too wet I too sit flicking through the book to see who has visited before me.

As regards waterlogged books - if there is nothing legible in them I tend to remove them as they start to disintegrate the stamp too. Notifying the 100 club if I think the box is a registered one.