TCG Letter #1928

As with Letter from Father Christmas to Michael Tolkien • 23 December 1924 (#1929), he says to John that is short of time. He says that his "sleigh is waiting", noting that there are a lot more stockings to fill this year.

Again as with Michael's letter, Polar Bear adds a post script mentioning the "magic wishing crackers" that John should pull and make a wish.

In 'Toward an Annotated Father Christmas' Ian Hollenbaugh further notes the following details:

The address of the Tolkien's has changed to 2 Darnley Road, West Park, Leeds. This is their third house and the first that they have bought, having moved in on 17 March 1924 (Chronology, p. 134): “It was a great improvement on St Mark’s Terrace, being of some considerable size [three storeys], and it was surrounded by open fields where Tolkien could take the children for walks” (Biography, p. 114). They retain this address until 1926, during the remainder of Tolkien’s tenure at Leeds (Biography, p. 110–5).

1924	A 76	B 94	C 95	D 99	E 04	F 09	G 12	H 19	I 20	J 23
Letter - "John Francis with love from Father Christmas", 1 page				16	10	17	17	23	18	18
Transcription				16	10	16	16	22	19	19
Postscript from Great (Polar) Bear, "my stars" / "Inside you will find a magic wishing cracker...", 1 page								24	24	24
Transcription of Polar Bear postscript								25	25	25
Envelope to John			11					22	19	19
Stamp to John - purple, rainbow flame sun behind north pole, "N" "1924 X" "P" across bottom	4		11					22	19	19
Letter to Michael from Father Christmas, 1 page				16	10	14	14	18	22	22
Transcription				16	10	15	15	19	23	23
Postscript from Great (Polar) Bear "Fr Christmas was in great hurry...", 1 page NOTE: until the 2019 edition, this postscript was assumed to be with the 1925 letter.			8	22	14	22	22	21	21	21
Transcription of Polar Bear postscript				20- 22	12- 14	23	23	20	20	20
Envelope to Michael			15	17	11	15	15	19	23	23
Envelope to Michael verso with commercial Father Christmas seal			RC	1
Stamp to Michael - Light purple, red and yellow sun behind north pole, "North 1924 Pole"	1		15	3	11	15	15	19	23	23