Thank You notes become sentimental thing of the past in wi-fi age

Experts found the average person had not written a letter for at least 18 months or sent a postcard within the past two years and some people had never made a home-made card, the Daily Express reported.

Losing such personal, or sentimental, gestures in day-to-day life has been blamed on our fast-moving, high-tech world.

Mark Walters, at Interparcel, which commissioned the study, said that keeping that personal touch in day-to-day life was important.

The poll of 2,000 people found 40 per cent admitted they were not as sentimental as their parents. And many said they had sold a family heirloom, like crockery or china, as it was "too old fashioned" or they did not have the space for it.

Nearly half described their homes as "minimalist". However, this had its drawbacks as 47 per cent of those who had discarded a family heirloom later regretted it. And nearly everyone said they like receiving hand-written letters.