[Rumil]

Hello fellow ancient Downers, [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I must confess that I have done the 'double', 20ish years since reading LoTR and come of age as a hobbit.

If I remember, Lord of the Rings had always been around on my parents' bookshelf but even though I was (and still am) an avid, not to say addicted, reader I didn't pick it up until a friend in school recommended it. The first time I read LoTR was on holiday in a little cottage in Aberporth, West Wales, on the edge of the sea. Strangely, I read The Hobbit after LotR, curled up in front of the fire at home with a bad case of the flu (thag you very buch!).

In common with many here, I was into D+D ( I still wonder if Balak the Unlucky will ever come out of retirement), AD+D and MERP. Are there any MERP-ers still around? It was an RPG system based on Middle Earth (admittedly fairly shakily at times). My big passion was wargaming, both historical and fantasy-based. I still chuck a few dice on occasions, but rarely wield the paintbrush!

Also, as many here have found, Tolkien has helped me through some bad times. Its like visiting an old friend when you accompany Frodo and co. for a while.

The Downs, and to some extent the films, have re-awakened my Tolkien interests. Its nice to know that there are some like-minded people out there. I still keep in touch with the friend who recommended LotR, and who now writes excellent books on the Roman army. I find that many people at work (a University) like LotR, and have varying opinions on the films, but few are inspired to delve very deeply into the subject.

Hail and well met, fellow Downers,