John le Carré: the constant researcher | Brief letters

I can testify to the accuracy of John le Carré’s research, which you note with reference to a new exhibition at Oxford’s Bodleian libraries (8 July). When researching British foreign policy, I spent a day in the embassy in Bonn in 1973. It struck me as so much like its portrayal in A Small Town in Germany that I remarked that if someone came pushing the registry trolley I would not be surprised to hear it squeak, as he had described it. “It’s a pity you weren’t here two or three years ago,” came the reply, “you would have recognised several of the characters as well.”
William Wallace
Liberal Democrat, House of Lords

I was never a fan of Norman Tebbit (Obituaries, 8 July) but an ex briefly worked security at Conservative HQ and had nothing but praise for him as the only person who said hello and goodbye to everyone by name every day.
Michelle Kimber
Plymouth

Just as John Smith is considered by many to have been the greatest Labour prime minister we never had, perhaps the same could be said of Norman Tebbit for the Tories.
Michael Fuller
Ampthill, Bedfordshire

I was intrigued by the quoted advice that “men should think about shortening their penis” as a method to strengthen the pelvic floor (Don’t ‘power pee’ – but do grab a mirror: 13 easy, effective ways to protect your pelvic floor, 8 July). Disappointingly, it was not explained how we might achieve this truncation.
Giles Youngs
Drinkstone, Suffolk

Re (Whatever the truth of The Salt Path, I know why people wanted to believe it, 8 July): is it The Pinch of Salt Path?
Sarah Hann
Dorridge, West Midlands