Tolkien 2005
 

I recently came across this online...
It is for a 50th anniversary celebration that will be occurring in 2005. Plans are already underway apparently... http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2005/
I wish I lived a little closer because I would go!

If it was in the States, I'd go in a heartbeat. ^_^ I know a few people that would love to go to that. Maybe someone should get something similar going over here. (hint hint!)

Damn! Wish I lived in the UK. I'd have me some tickets already.

I don't wish I live in the UK. I wish I could go to convention, but I don't want to live in the UK

That would be fun to go to. Too bad UK is so far away for me [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

That would be cool to go to, but of course, I also live in the States. And I agree with Gimli, I don't want to live in the UK either. And for those of you who live in the U.S., you could checkTolkiengathering.com for a event that could happen in the States.

~M

Thank you, tigerlily and Morquesse, that was interesting.

EEEE!!! I live close enough to England, and I will go!!! Gonna try and get a ticket very soon.... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Both are too expensive and too far away for me. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]
As soon as I can though, I'm coming to one of those! They sound like fun! *sigh*
Have fun, even though I won't be there. Tell me all about it. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

What about Tolkien's 111th birthday? Is there going to be any celebration of that? It's next year (2003) on the 3rd of January.

What a good idea. At the least, the Downs should have a celebration.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

111! How very cool! Too bad he won't be alive to celebrate it like Bilbo was. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

WOW!!!!! Tolkien will be 111 on my 18th birthday!!!!!!!!

is that cool or what? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Hehe, oh yeah... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
So, what do you say, having a party that day? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

We're definitely going to celebrate. Yay, Tolkiens birthday.

Is anyone else actually going to this event - I've bought a ticket, & am hoping to attend. I also attended my first Oxonmoot with the Tolkien Society who are organising this event. It was in September, & we got to visit The Professor's grave. For those of you who aren't familiar with it. The grave is about 2-2 1/2 feet high, light grey marble, with the Beren & Luthien inscripton on it. Its an ordinary grave in an ordinary cemetary, with just a little wooden sign to indicate where to find it. Its in the Catholic section of the cemetary - lots of graves of Poles who stayed in the UK after the war.
There was a reading from the Two Towers - the part where Frodo & Sam leave Faramir & set off for the Crossroads, then a Society member sang Galadriel's lament in Elvish. After the 'ceremony' I was able to get a few seconds to kneel by the grave & place my hand on the earth.

Anyway, back to the main question - is anyone else planning to attend Tolkien 2005?

There should be some type of celebration... I mean, eleventy-one is a rather interesting number. Even though Tolkien isn't alive, there should be something to recognize his birthday.

Davem, that sounded like it came straight from the trilogy!

I might go, since by then, I'd be having my own job. Maybe I would. But I'd have to think of who to bring with me.

I want to go sooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!
It costs £20 (4 weeks pocket-money) + a trip to Birmingham (have to save up even more!)

I'm also going to oxford this week to visit everything to do with Tolkien there!!!!
That's the great thing about living in Britain...£7 and youre there!!! http://www.plauder-smilies.de/spin3.gif

Anastacia, Don't miss the Eagle & Child pub (or 'the bird & baby') where Tolkien & the other Inklings met on Tuesday mornings. There's a whole bunch of photos of Tolkien, Lewis, etc. There's also a letter from them all to the Landlord on the wall, saying something along the lines of 'We, the undersigned, having partaken of your ham, have just drunk your health'. Its signed by Tolkien himself, Lewis, Christopher Tolkien & a few others. You feel really 'close' to them all in a way in there.

That all sounds so cool,but me being in Texas it is all a little out of reach for me.I hope to go to the UK one and see the sites.

Wow, I posted this a while ago [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

For those who are in the US or Canada... check out my post "Gathering 2003" in the "Barrow-Downs" section of the forum. This gathering is more of a movie gathering, but there is a lot of other stuff going on there as well... http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin...&f=14&t=000871

Yes!! i heard about this when i wanted to go to oxonmoot in september but by parents said i was too young and they didn't want to have to take me! i sooo want to go i'll be 18 yes! i can go on my own! i wonder if i can convince my parents! who else is going?
hope to see you there! And ohh by the way England is the best! so there!
(okay America is cool too!)

I am sure that England is lovely... I just haven't been able to afford to take a trip over there yet - perhaps by 2005 I will be able to. I will be in Toronto in 2003 for sure.

Well, I just got the first booklet sent out by the Tolkien Society about 2005. It looks very good - there are about 14 people (so far) from the US attending. Its going to be an expensive year for us Tolkien Society members - Oxonmoot is happening as well teh following month. They're planning to have a showing of the whole trilogy in the special edition, so that will be the closest i suppose I'll get to seeing the whole thing on the 'big screen' - it won't be the full cinematic experience, but it will be on a large video screen, in a theatre of fans. Hope I can kep my excitement under control.
Its really going to be a once in a lifetime event. 50 years since the LotR was published.

Supposidly, from what I understand... the event in Toronto is going to show all three on the bi screen. It coinsides with the openin of Return of the King.
I believe that the plan in to show The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers and then move on to the first viewing of Return of the King.
This is what it sounds like to me.
All I know is that I can't wait for the experience of viewing Return of the King for the first time with a whole group of Tolkien fans who are all seeing for the first time. It will be the best audience film experience ever!

[ October 25, 2002: Message edited by: Tigerlily Gamgee ]

It's 2005 - time to dig up this thread and see if any of us are planning to attend the 'Tolkien 2005' event. I've been looking at the website, and the guest list is illustrious and highly interesting. I am definitely interested and unless something happens to stop me, I plan to register and book accomodations soon. It would be fun to have a get-together with other Downs members there - anyone else want to come too?

Im definately thinking of going. I live near, in fact only just outside of birmingham so ive no problem of getting there. Its going to be real cool if i manage to see some of you lot there! please go :D .

If you go on to the aston university website, and then click on the road network around birmingham link, I live in the little town called aldridge.

I have my ticket (have had for about two years) & I'm planning on dragging Lalwende with me.

Plan no longer! For the postman has just arrived and my booking is confirmed. :cool:

It's just a short trip into the city centre for me!

I'd better book my tickets before the missus stops me.......

I wish I could go but my situation does not help. I'm in Canada, no money to buy a ticket and 17 (Graduating this year).
*Sigh*
Well at least I hope you guys have fun.

Well, I've gone and done it, rung the bell, so to speak - I have booked not only the event and accomodations but also a low-budget flight to Birmingham, so I'm all set! Next I'll have to start sewing that costume...

Still humming and haaing about this.... not sure if it is really my kind of thing (ie cruising above my head ) ... and I certainly don't do costumes in public.... but it is over a weekend and I have lots of friends and family in the area - and Aston is apparently about 20 mins walk from the new Selfridges ;)

This is taken from Amon Hen 189. I promised [b]Esty[/i] I'd dig out the info, & hope she doesn't mind me sharing it rather than just pm'ing it to her.

(No, I didn't type it all out - I used my pen scanner, so please forgive any little spelling mistakes - typing it would have taken me about 20 minutes, scanning took about 3)

i wish I could go... It sounds great from what you guys have said... :(


~Sad ka...

I wish I could go to. There are many things stopping me from going. Im in Canada and Im only going to be 15 at that time and it probably would be really expensive...... :( *sigh* Oh well all of you who are lucky enough to be able to attend will have to tell us all about it.

Wil

Just by way of tempting fellow 'Downers into attending, the Tolkien Society have made available a list of proposed papers for the 2005 event. There's some really good items, particularly relevant to recent discussions on the Downs! :)

How much will it cost?

It's quite reasonable, about £60 to register as a non-member of the Tolkien Society, but slightly cheaper if you are already a member. The accommodation is the most expensive thing, about £280 for five (four?) nights and two meals. But aren't you in Australia? I would say that the above sums are a drop in the ocean compared to a flight then (especially taking into account the all-important spending money)! I have noticed that there are some interesting looking events being held on other continents for the anniversary year, so it might be worth looking out for some of these. :)