The Tolkien Coming of Age Club 2

[Alphaelin]

Thanks for the welcome back, Esty !

I saw the 'Silm' threads in Chapter-by-Chapter and look forward to reading them. I found this book a hard read also, probably because it was put together by Christopher Tolkien after his father's death. Parts of The Silmarillion seem remote to me, not chronologically, but as in being harder to relate to. Had Tolkien ever been able to complete stories in his lifetime, I think I would find the book more engrossing. As important as the stories (or story?) of the Legendarium are, Tolkien, when he knew he was writing for publication at least, gave his readers well-developed characters to carry the story along and lots of detail to fire the imagination.

I seem to have gone off on a tangent there more suited to the Books -- whoops!

<Pours another ale and wanders off to the Books, with perhaps a side trip to Mirth>

[Child of the 7th Age]

Another hobbit domicile....

I rather like this one.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

That is gorgeous, Sharon! Thanks for sharing. I'd actually love to live in a cottage like that - and since this clubhouse is wholly imaginary, can't we just imagine that this is what it looks like?!

*pulls her rocking chair closer to the lovely fireplace*

[Bêthberry]

It is a beautifully constructed work and what a lovely idea to imagine it home to our nook of the Barrow! I am quite happy to consider a chair in that back room, browsing through those manuscripts. Oh to find Tolkien's journal or personal diary!

I have to hope, though, that this cottage has an excellent security system, as its unique style must draw attention to itself (unless it be hidden in the middle of the owner's property) as does the magazine article. Taunton Press is well know for its quality magazines. I would hope that no light-fingered sorts peruse its pages.

[Nogrod]

Nice, indeed.

But are there people around here who could actually afford that? I mean in today's society both being on the edge or having a decent handcraft both pay too much for the common folks...

With state/community salaries you can just try to put up with your block of flats (rented) and not to think about these things.

[Lalwendë]

“I came back my client and said, ‘I’m not going to make this look like Hollywood,’” Archer recalled,

...instead he made it look like a fake stone and concrete Disneyland ticket booth.

[davem]

The site was critical too—and Archer found the perfect one a short walk away from his client’s main house, where an 18th-century dry-laid wall ran through the property. “I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful to build the structure into the wall?”

Not only did the wall anchor the cottage, but stones from another section were used in the cottages construction. “It literally grew out of the site,” Archer said.

So he dismantled part of an EIGHTEENTH CENTURY wall, something that a craftsman had built over two hundred years ago to knock up this mock tudor monstrosity?

I suppose its fortunate there wasn't an 18th Century cottage on the property, or I expect that stones from that would have been used in the construction too....

Reminds me of a pub in a 1970's sitcom, complete with stone cladding, plastic beams & Terry Scott leaning on the bar in his aran sweater, quaffing Watney's Red Barrel from a pewter tankard ...