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The Midlands provided inspiration for Middle Earth Birmingham's bid
to be European Capital of Culture 2008, and had been quick to
exploit the region's links with Tolkien. As interest surrounding the
latest Lord of the Rings film release, The Twin Towers, builds, a
series of local landmarks and places that helped shape Tolkien's
vision of Middle Earth have been identified.
Most striking is that Tolkien drew inspiration for the title of the
second volume in the Lord of the Rings trilogy having lived very
close to an extraordinary 96ft (29m) tower known as Perrott' s
Folley - Birmingham's oddest architectural feature. Near it stands a
later Victorian tower, part of the Edgbaston Waterworks. The pair
are said to have suggested The Twin Towers - Minas Morgul and Minas
Tirith,
Tolkien links with Birmingham run deep. He spent 16 years of his
early years in the city and it is quite believeable that during this
time, many ideas sank into the mind of the future novelist.
Among the other influences are that the tiny village of Sarehole,
home to the young Tolkien in 1896, is said to have been the model
for The Shire, the hobbits' home. Forced to move closer to the old
tram-route to the rapidly developing town center, Tolkien later
lamented the encroachment of civilization upon the countryside.
However, there was one place that civilization missed, the
mysterious world of Moseley Bog. This miraculously preserved haven
for wild life was an ideal place for childhood adventures. It is
recalled in Tolkien's description of the Old Forest, last of the
primeval wild woods, where Tom Bombadil lived. The Bog is now
preserved as a Nature Reserve by Birmingham City Council. It is even
claimed Frodo Baggins' faithful companion Sam Gamgee got his name
from the local dialect word for cotton wool - its inventor was
Birmingham surgeon, Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee.
Stephen Hetherington, director of the Birmingham European Capital of
Culture bid says: "Tolkien, like so many creative people before
and since, drew great inspiration from Birmingham and the fantastic
diversity of this region. We are proud of these links and the
resurgence of interest in Tolkien is very timely with the
Government's decision on the European Capital of Culture due next
Spring".
Perrott's Folley was specially lit during Halloween to great success
and there are now a group of volunteers dedicated to preserving the
Grade II listed building. Birmingham City Council has extended the
opening times of Sarehole Mill, which is now run as a museum and
perhaps best project of all is a Tolkien Trail around the city that
highlights links with the author to both tourists and people in the
region.
Following the release of the first film, visitor numbers to the
Sarehole Mill museum doubled. Moreover, on special open days last
Christmas, Sarehole Mill received more visitors in one day that it
normally admits in a month. The same attraction is opening this
Christmas and we are expecting even more visitors.
Source
www.beinbirmingham.com
Tolkien Weekend 2005
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