TCG Letter #146 / Carpenter Letter #75

Tolkien opens this letter by mentioning that he is writing this letter using his new "midget type" typewriter cartridges. These could be interchanged and gave a very small text so that the writer could fit more on a page. Tolkien came up with this so that he could give more Christopher more news on the limited sized airletter sheets.

Tolkien gives Christopher news on home life, and on a back tyre blowing out while he was on his way to town. he remarks that he was fortunately as he was not far fron Denis and could "console" himself with a drink at the Gardener's Arms. A public house that he says has not yet been found by the "Stars or Stripes".^{Tolkien is referring to American Servicemen who were at that time stationed around Oxford.[1]}

Tolkien continues the letter on 9 July and tells Christopher about bullfinches, pointing out that they are connected to brewing beer. He wonders how Christopher is getting on with flying and goes on to talk about machinery, he says that "Labour-saving machinery only creates endless and worse labour."