Oxonmoot 2006

[Mithalwen]

"I'm travelling to the West this week"

Ah well Oxford is delightful but to visit Valinor probably beats it.....

[Bêthberry]

I'd hardly say I live in Valinor, but then I'm not as far West as Estelyn is going.

Any chance any of you will be looking out for Phillip Pullman while you are at Oxenmoot?

[Lalwendë]

I will be, in fact I'm still finishing the Amber Spyglass so if I do he'll get bombarded with questions. However, he'll probably be holed up in his shed. I'll make do with looking for places from HDM instead.

[Bêthberry]

One of the great delights when I first read HDM was relishing the description of Jordan College and its environs. The Gyptians' boats sounded so much more fun than mere punting too.

I think the Bodleian has a special Tolkien collection. I wonder if any of it is available for public reading?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

At this year's German Tolkien Society meeting, one of our members, a university professor and recognized Tolkien scholar, told us about the application process through which he went to be able to research the Tolkien materials in the Bodleian. Even those books and papers which are available for "public viewing" are limited, and there are more that aren't even listed in the catalogue, though the knowledgable may at least hear of their existence. (He wasn't allowed to see them.)

So if you'd like to study in the Tolkien section, you must have an official reason and the scholarly background to be entitled to access the materials - plus time for a lengthy permission process.

[Mithalwen]

Ooh but punting is wonderful ... friends, picnic, summers day... I might take Gaudy Night to read on the train.... I thought Northern Lights wonderful but I thought the trilogy gradually deteriorated ..on at least I enjoyed Subtle Knife less and Amber Spyglass very little... at least one alternative universe too many for my poor brain. I do think my Daemon might be a badger though

[narfforc]

I will be traveling by train from the grim north, as I am still trying to finish writing The Lord of the Grins, I won't be reading. I have just finished The Houses of Squealing and I am halfway through The Last Debacle, so I am hoping to finish The Back Gate Opens by the time I arrive at Oxford, where I will bore Lal and Davem with stories of Paragon son of Paramount, Stranger of the North, Dulladan, Halfstoned, Alesser Heir of Everdulls son Evenduller, and if I have enough courage and I am not under the influence of Orkbrew, I will attempt to sing The Ballad of Gil-galad on ents night.

[Lalwendë]

Ha ha, thought you'd got rid of me eh? No, just saw a t'internet cafe for £1 for 45mins so had to come and post. No, I have not seen pullman, but we did try to go to Exeter College only to find it jammed up with trucks. So me being a nosey parker asks a bloke having a smoke in the back of a truck what was going on - they're filming Northern Lights this week. He says "Eh, what's it they're filimg?" to his mate, who told him, and then he says "It's s'posed to be like Lord of the Rings, innit?". I was trying to think of something to say but then remembered he was a Roadie and went "Wow, Coool!". And I've just seen Nicole Kidman in the back of a minibus coming out of Oriel college too. So they're obviously using both places. No chance of getting a look in Exeter this weekend for anyone thinking of it though, unless you smuggle yourself in as Daniel Craig's wig maker.

On more useful matters, they serve Magners in the Eagle & Child, and I saw the 'Ham letter' thing that the Inklings signed. It doesn't look like an original to me, sorry but I wouldn't put something like that up in a smoky pub. I thought about asking the landlord but then I instead got to complimenting him on the excellence of his beef stew.

This has a sticky keyboard by the way.