Thanks guys. I read through the appendices this weekend and found them very informative. There is so much background information that I almost feel a Lotr re-read is justified.
But I is left feeling a bit lyke Samwise after 'is Lembas; it's got all the stuff you need to keep going, Master Frodo, but don't quite satisfy the appetite, if you know what I mean.
The outline of the Lorien & Mirkwood campaigns was fascinating and I would be interested to discover whether Tolkein ever developed these episodes into a more fleshed-out tale in any of his scattered writings?
You have mentioned works I've never heard of: HOME & the Tolkien Companion (JEA Tyler) and Fosters "Complete Guide to Middle Earth". Is the HOME a Tolkein work? and is the "Complete Guide" a worthwhile purchase?