A demolition worker has discovered a postcard, which was written to JRR Tolkien 40 years ago, stuck behind a fireplace. The 40-year-old card was discovered during the demolition of 19 Lakeside Road - the bungalow that was the writer’s home from 1968 to 1972.
After the death of his wife in 1972, Tolkien sold the bungalow for £23,000 and moved back to Oxford. Contractor Stephen Malton found the postcard - depicting Cork in Ireland and signed “Lin” - as he dismantled a fireplace, itself valued at £250,000.
The postcard depicts a scene from Cork, Ireland, and the message mentions the countryside and seascapes but enigmatically adds: “I hope everything has gone as well as could be expected in the most difficult circumstances.” It is signed “Lin”, which could be fellow fantasy author Lin Carter, who wrote A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings.
Malton said he would probably sell the items at auction, although according to local newspaper the Dorset Echo, he has already had an offer from a Tolkien enthusiast in Belgium.
He contacted the Tolkien Estate, which manages the author’s copyrights, and said that they had given him the all clear to sell the fireplace and postcard. The estate could not immediately be reached for comment.
Developers Cranbrook Homes (Southern) Ltd bought the bungalow and secured planning permission to replace it with two four-bedroom family homes.