tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27284025784260238642024-03-05T22:45:33.081+00:00Tolkien in Leeds
J.R.R. Tolkien CBE held his first full academic position as Reader in English Language at Leeds in 1920. His academic career in Leeds was short, only 5 years, but when he left to take up the Rawlinson and Bosworth Chair of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, he was already a Professor of English. During his time in Leeds he collaborated on a new edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and in 1924 Tolkien and his growing family moved to 2 Darnley Road, West Park.Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-2402163037994022052023-10-01T14:51:00.002+01:002023-10-01T14:51:55.099+01:00Eve of an Anniversary<p><span class="JCzEY ZwRhJd"><span class="CSkcDe">Mae Govannen</span></span></p><p>A big thank you to you for visiting at this time.</p><p>Next year will be the start of many commentaries and accounts of Tolkien and his life in Oxford.</p><p>It is important though to note the place that Leeds and the North had in his published literary and academic progress.</p><p>In June of 1923 <i>A Northern Venture</i> was published by the Leeds University English School Association.</p><p>In October 1923 the poem <i>The Cat and the Fiddle</i> was published in Yorkshire Poetry.</p><p>By December in 1923 a 'clean copy' of <i>'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'</i> had been sent for review<br /></p>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-14454318835873337132022-10-01T15:25:00.000+01:002022-10-01T15:25:05.547+01:00Ten Years Old<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">On a sunny day in 2012 the <a href="https://leedscivictrust.org.uk/" target="_blank">Leeds Civic Trust</a> in partnership with <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/" target="_blank">The Tolkien Society</a> and the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank">University of Leeds</a> unveiled the <a href="https://leedscivictrust.org.uk/whatwedo/heritage/blue-plaques/" target="_blank">plaque</a> at <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/society/memorials/" target="_blank">2 Darnley Road</a>, <a href="https://forstaff.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3474/university-celebrates-j-r-r-tolkien" target="_blank">West Park, Leeds</a>.</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is a postcard of this suburb of north Leeds from 1905. It presents the property at the end of Spen Lane in its semi-rural aspect.</span></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHs64erjLv-luQtBr-i20T1qF9Osf-PDl5_TGlOrJDpn8s8TsuVwBJhw-AfmkvP459EbPYxlvLcTQRbn66J6DxtxFHtugPfu_mghlVhVOhZ7XnVJQyPymLIC9lDzBA9A6mqF-qRnbS8ch5HIEiScAo_-1lcq2BsHhemrFeT7Iz-gBvQXSs98yQjwSEQ/s500/2%20Darnley%20Road%20Cica%201907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="500" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHs64erjLv-luQtBr-i20T1qF9Osf-PDl5_TGlOrJDpn8s8TsuVwBJhw-AfmkvP459EbPYxlvLcTQRbn66J6DxtxFHtugPfu_mghlVhVOhZ7XnVJQyPymLIC9lDzBA9A6mqF-qRnbS8ch5HIEiScAo_-1lcq2BsHhemrFeT7Iz-gBvQXSs98yQjwSEQ/w407-h252/2%20Darnley%20Road%20Cica%201907.jpg" width="407" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> (Darnley Road circled)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdrNE23dPauqcmthrZXLJg4NCwa4oE6JYwq4CGrHFZKjHwBWMsBpVq5JOU56cheVqv7f4r6B5Lyu_ipof33qNrK-s9sC4fXbsDOJrbu65CKlYqTtdHqLuFsENs9UisPZmu2dre-xFavqb7DpUENGctKT0Y19rfsRVjPmuwrgjjOdlehM22HUG56iCtA/s1387/West%20Park%201909_circ.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1387" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdrNE23dPauqcmthrZXLJg4NCwa4oE6JYwq4CGrHFZKjHwBWMsBpVq5JOU56cheVqv7f4r6B5Lyu_ipof33qNrK-s9sC4fXbsDOJrbu65CKlYqTtdHqLuFsENs9UisPZmu2dre-xFavqb7DpUENGctKT0Y19rfsRVjPmuwrgjjOdlehM22HUG56iCtA/w405-h243/West%20Park%201909_circ.png" width="405" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-65369492328918986212021-10-01T12:21:00.000+01:002021-10-01T12:21:18.830+01:00Tolkien and Leeds 1921<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"> <b><span><span style="font-size: large;">After a year in post Tolkien was establishing </span></span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #fcff01;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #800180;">his position as an advocate of the study of Middle English</span> </span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEnlMZOqb4j5NmzDCP2wqbfAdwikBUNmyfEunadY18XG-1nSJAYlcnMqFYWeLMFG3fvXIu2v8LcQdeQb9eAcc-lvyO_-RctFJeCP-Hs9NLDrhHAHticde8E0CWM2uXr9v3Szu6dYurNyk/s299/Tolkien+1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="224" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEnlMZOqb4j5NmzDCP2wqbfAdwikBUNmyfEunadY18XG-1nSJAYlcnMqFYWeLMFG3fvXIu2v8LcQdeQb9eAcc-lvyO_-RctFJeCP-Hs9NLDrhHAHticde8E0CWM2uXr9v3Szu6dYurNyk/s0/Tolkien+1920.jpg" width="224" /></a></b></span></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having been given a free-hand in the revision of the English syllabus by George S. Gordon, Tolkien began to develop English studies at Leeds. He proposed the series of Middle English texts for study and was in favour of the normalization of texts. This would involve making the translation of the texts consistent in thier spelling. </span></span></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kenneth Sisam had suggested in January of 1921 that a student edition of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' was long overdue. C. T. Onions suggested to Tolkien that he should prepare such an edition. </span></span></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In October 1921 George S. Gordon asked the opinion of David Nichol Smith of a student, one Eric Valentine Gordon (no relation) who had been recommended by Tolkien for a staff position at Leeds.</span></span></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With his family now in Leeds and after taking rooms at Holly Bank on the Otley Road in Headingley the Tolkien's had moved to 11 St Mark's Terrace, close to the University where they would stay till March 1924.</span></span></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b> </b></span></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b> </b></span></span>
</p>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-39302697556044273992020-10-01T10:17:00.001+01:002021-09-30T20:12:27.317+01:00Tolkien and Leeds 1920<p style="text-align: center;"><b> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">One hundred years ago John Ronald Reuel Tolkien </span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">was appointed</span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b> Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds </b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><b>and arrived in the city
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tolkien would be joined by his growing family after his wife Edith gave
birth (in Oxford) to their second son Michael.
Initially Tolkien rented a room at 21a St Michael's Road, Headingley and returned to Oxford at the weekends.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the Tolkien's approached Christmas 1920 they were starting down a road that would see the family move to Leeds and become part of the community of which the University was the centre.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To maintain the connection with his young family, Tolkien began a tradition that would last till the eary 1940s, festive letters to his children. The first was written to his eldest son John, in Oxford (from Father Christmas, North Pole) in December 1920.<br /></span></div>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-88735442456176825032020-01-17T09:51:00.000+00:002020-01-20T09:39:49.345+00:00Christopher Tolkien (1924 - 2020)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkdOrloZ5Ditje8gmNuzYWT1tOmIb7i0jKnIIK6k3JoRxFJg8UFdE69zoWlp1TIAGM0ZsvFGZq4ZsaauJNF3FSY73b6VD0oD731sZlApBNf3R5oAxop09MZWJ0Kp1dMSE0NdRdGQr98nu/s1600/CJRT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkdOrloZ5Ditje8gmNuzYWT1tOmIb7i0jKnIIK6k3JoRxFJg8UFdE69zoWlp1TIAGM0ZsvFGZq4ZsaauJNF3FSY73b6VD0oD731sZlApBNf3R5oAxop09MZWJ0Kp1dMSE0NdRdGQr98nu/s1600/CJRT.png" /></a></div>
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Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 November 1924 – 15 January 2020) was the third son of the author J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), and the editor of much of his father's posthumously published work. He drew the original maps for his father's <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, which he signed C. J. R. T. </div>
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Christopher was born in Leeds in the same year that his father had been made Professor of the English Language at Leeds University at the age of thirty-two. His parents had purchased 2 Darnley Road and had moved with their children, John (6) and Michael (4) from St Marks Terrace. <br />
He was baptised Christopher Reuel, the first name being in honor of Christopher Wiseman.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETSDAnIBL321HWPxq9SrP4tXGLei7uZ4W2tZbDZ_UZre16Rwkt-8qQ1Y_XNiaiRzJJqKUpsHLzO0HzISVW7HEnO9TGGizH4O-hqFxhPLJPM31IT5Ue5G8PFe7sTxhuAgTUPUnQHJD_5Sd/s1600/ITF+CJRT+Published.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETSDAnIBL321HWPxq9SrP4tXGLei7uZ4W2tZbDZ_UZre16Rwkt-8qQ1Y_XNiaiRzJJqKUpsHLzO0HzISVW7HEnO9TGGizH4O-hqFxhPLJPM31IT5Ue5G8PFe7sTxhuAgTUPUnQHJD_5Sd/s320/ITF+CJRT+Published.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/" target="_blank">The Tolkien Society</a> is an educational charity, literary society, and international fan club, devoted to promoting the life and works of <abbr title="John Ronald Reuel">J.R.R.</abbr> Tolkien.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br />Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-78708503780610830762019-10-01T09:46:00.000+01:002019-10-01T09:49:14.084+01:00Tolkien and Wright<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;">Tolkien's first academic post as Reader in the English Department at the University of Leeds came after his work as a lexicographer on the Oxford English Dictionary. In late 1918 parts of the latest edition were still being compiled at Oxford. Tolkien worked on the etymology of <i>warm</i>, <i>wasp,</i> <i>water</i>, <i>wick </i>(lamp) and <i>winter</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">For any philologist the compilation of glossaries was an essental part of the study of texts. Tolkien's application for the post in Leeds would see him join an academic institution familiar to one particular tutor during his undergraduate studies.</span><span style="color: black;"> This tutor was Joseph Wright.</span></span><br />
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Wright was born in Idle near Bradford in 1855 and from humble beginnings took an active interest in education as both teacher and pupil. Largely self-taught, Wright would eventually study Comparative Philology in Germany and on returning to England was engaged by the Taylor Institute in Oxford. Wright remained part of the University to his retirement in 1925.<br />
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</span>In 1925 Wright wrote a letter of recommendation for Tolkien's application at Rawlinson and Bosworth chair of Anglo-Saxon: </div>
<dl><dd>"<i>I have known Professor Tolkien intimately since the beginning of his undergraduate days at Oxford, and have greatly admired his keen interest in the philological study of Latin, Greek, and more especially the Germanic Languages. He regularly attended my classes and lectures for two years on Comparative Philology in general, and on Latin, Greek, and Gothic, and I formed a high opinion of his attainments in these subjects...</i>" </dd></dl>
<a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Joseph_Wright" target="_blank">Tolkien Gateway: Joseph Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wright_(linguist)" target="_blank">Joseph Wright</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8o1YHhfycpq0Gh5GLBW78DQNPIvWM1ukBML9mfJG4S6pzz40lyMjh-35HurxEy3GLXVeijkKkGjd6HQNIwXFEjCa-5fYyep9DrcgvUpuxdfe5RqbhtNgNECfuYDurYIzsvlToCq_3uNf/s1600/IMG_0037b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1305" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8o1YHhfycpq0Gh5GLBW78DQNPIvWM1ukBML9mfJG4S6pzz40lyMjh-35HurxEy3GLXVeijkKkGjd6HQNIwXFEjCa-5fYyep9DrcgvUpuxdfe5RqbhtNgNECfuYDurYIzsvlToCq_3uNf/s400/IMG_0037b.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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Joseph Wright, Taylor Institue, Oxford</div>
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Wright had attended evening classes at the Yorkshire College of Science, Leeds at the start of his academic career when he was a schoolmaster in Bradford. The <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/5000/about/133/heritage" target="_blank">Yorkshire College of Science</a> was founded in 1874 and was one of the institutions that became part of the University of Leeds. </div>
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The relationship between the undergraduate Tolkien and Prof. Wright was brought to the screen this year in Dome Karukoski's <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3361792/" target="_blank">Tolkien</a></div>
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Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) and Wright (Derek Jacobi)</div>
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Wright died in 1930 and his wife Elizabeth and Tolkien were named executors in his will. When Elizabeth died in 1958 the final settlement of Wright's will could be completed. This was that his 'residuary estate', '.. shall pass to the University of Leeds ..'.</div>
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In 1963 the Joseph Wright Scholarship was established. The fund provides for students wishing to undertake research degree study in English or German languages or literatures within the School of English or the Department of German.</div>
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<a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/5000/about" target="_blank">University of Leeds</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/" target="_blank">The Tolkien Society</a> is an educational charity, literary society, and international fan club, devoted to promoting the life and works of <abbr title="John Ronald Reuel">J.R.R.</abbr> Tolkien.</div>
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Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-9574302527879528682018-10-01T12:54:00.000+01:002019-10-01T09:47:01.368+01:00Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">There only four short weeks till the exhibition </span><a href="https://tolkien.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"> currently running at the Bodleian Library, Oxford closes (closing date 28th October). With free entry (pre-book a time slot) this opportunity to view items from the Tolkien Trust, Marquette University and the Bodleian Library's Tolkien Archive is well worth the visit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">A chance to view this rarely displayed collection was thrill, made even more so in that Tolkien's <i>Father Christmas Letters</i> and the development of the story <i>Roverandom</i>, featured amongst the illustrations, drafts, sketch-books and other artefacts.</span><br />
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Tolkien started writing these communications in 1920, starting with a note from ' .. Fr. Chr. ' to his son John (aged 3). Tolkien was commuting between Oxford and Leeds having been elected to the post of Reader at the University of Leeds.<br />
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This tradition continued and Christmas 1924 'Master John Francis Reuel Tolkien' duly received his letter, to the family's new address in West Park, Leeds.<br />
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With Tolkien's academic career seeing him return to Oxford and the greater works of <i>The Hobbit</i>, <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> and <i>The Silmarillion</i> establishing his talent as an artist and story-teller it was heartening to see this Leeds connection as part of that story.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/" target="_blank">The Tolkien Society</a> will be hosting a four day conference in Birmingham in 2019. <a href="https://www.tolkien2019.com/" target="_blank">Tolkien 2019</a> will mark the 50th anniversary of the Society and bring together fans, scholars and artists from far and wide. Be There! <br />
<br />Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-9087488801591304982017-10-01T11:27:00.000+01:002018-10-01T12:43:17.327+01:00Tolkien and Yorkshire<span style="color: white;"></span><h3>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">100 years ago the First World War was still raging with casualties and deaths now into the millions.</span></h3>
<br /><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">For Tolkien trench fever had seen to his transportation back to England and by the 8th of November 1916 he was back in Birmingham. By December he was well enough to leave hospital and initially convalesced at Great Haywood.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Towards the end of this period of recovery he was taken ill again and was sent to a sanatorium in Harrogate.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: large;">and <span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: large;">re-train in East Yorkshire These events are now marked with the plaques in <span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: large;">Hornsea and Hull.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">2017 is also the centenary year of John Ronald and Edith Tolkien's walk near Roos in East Yorkshire and the </span><a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/blog/2017/05/a-centenary-visit-to-tolkiens-hemlock-glade/#more-8243" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">'hemlock glade'</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> that became woven into the evolving fabric of his legendarium as the story of </span><a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/blog/2017/06/beren-and-luthien-in-the-media/#more-8282" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Beren and Luthien</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><b>Tolkien Society Seminar 2017</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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The Tolkien Society's <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/seminar-2017/" target="_blank">Seminar</a> has been held Leeds since 2015 and building on previous years it was a great success. This year's subject 'Poetry and Song' was addressed in papers by both established and upcoming Tolkien scholars. This year's seminar saw regular speakers Dr Dimitra Fimi and Dr Andrew Higgins joined by Dr Stuart Lee of the University of Oxford</div>
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Plans are on-going for the <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/society/events/seminar/" target="_blank">2018 Seminar</a> which again will be held in Leeds.</div>
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The scheduling of the Seminar in early July coincides with the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/info/125137/international_medieval_congress" target="_blank">International Medieval Congress</a> which is held annually at the University of Leeds.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/" target="_blank">Tolkien Society</a></div>
Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-61518812287737925202016-10-01T11:30:00.000+01:002018-09-29T16:54:51.175+01:00Tolkien and Gordon, the Leeds connection<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">By the time Tolkien took the position of Reader at the University of Leeds he had already made many contributions to the academic life of the University of Oxford. <br /><br />He had returned to Oxford with his wife Edith and infant son, John, in 1918 and worked as a lexicographer engaged in the compilation of the New English Dictionary. He also provided private tutoring to undergraduates and was in the process of compiling a Middle English Glossary for his former tutor Kenneth Sisam.<br /><br /><br />After moving to Leeds, as the plaque at 2 Darnley Road now testifies,<br /><br /> '.. he collaborated on a new edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ..'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This collaboration with E.V. Gordon would see Tolkien the tutor, working with one of his former students. Gordon studied at University College, Oxford and an entry in a </span><a href="http://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/content/j-r-r-tolkien-and-univ-unexpected-link" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">college account book</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> from 1920 of payments to tutors confirms his tutelage by Tolkien. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gordon went on to succeed Tolkien as Professor at Leeds and the friendship and collaboration that developed during <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">their</span> time there would have no doubt continued had it not been for <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">G</span>ordon's death in 1938.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Brotherton Library at Leeds holds a collection of </span><a href="https://library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/376715" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tolkien and Gordon</span></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">'s letters purchased in 2014.</span></div>
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<b>Tolkien Society Seminar 2016</b><br />
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The Tolkien Society's <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-seminar-2016/" target="_blank">Seminar</a> returned to Leeds for a second year and was a great success. This year's subject 'Life, Death and Immortality' proved most popular with those who attended. Many papers were submitted and created a full schedule for the event. Among this year's speakers were Dr Dimitra Fimi and Dr Andrew Higgins editors of the recently republished essay by Tolkien, <a href="https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008131395/a-secret-vice" target="_blank">'A Secret Vice'</a>.</div>
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Plans are on-going for the <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/society/events/seminar/" target="_blank">2017 Seminar</a> which again will be held in Leeds.</div>
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The scheduling of the Seminar in early July coincides with the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/info/125137/international_medieval_congress" target="_blank">International Medieval Congress</a> which is held annually at the University of Leeds.</div>
Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-4437290467815446522015-10-01T08:40:00.000+01:002015-10-01T08:40:45.850+01:00Tolkien links with Leeds in 2015<br />
The Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds made the purchase of letters, poems and prose that will form the Gordon-Tolkien Collection held by the Brotherton Library. <br />
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'They provide insight into the close friendship between Tolkien and Eric Gordon,<br />
who joined him in the English department at Leeds in 1922.'<br />
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<strong>Sing-along-a-Tolkien</strong><br />
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Among the papers is a draft of a drinking song <a href="http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/video-tolkien-s-drinking-ditty-is-lord-of-the-sings-1-7165937">'The Root of the Boot'</a> (Sam's 'Troll Poem' from The Fellowship of the Ring). This was performed at the Whitelock's Ale House, Turk's Head Yard
in Leeds back in March.<br />
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<strong>Tolkien Society Seminar 2015</strong><br />
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The Tolkien Society's <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-seminar-2015/" target="_blank">Seminar</a> was held in Leeds this year; this annual event hosted by the TS consisted of a range of papers under the theme 'One Hundred Years of Middle-earth'.<br />
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Plans are ongoing for the <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/society/events/seminar/" target="_blank">2016 Seminar</a> which again will be held in Leeds.<br />
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The scheduling of the Seminar in early July coincides with the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/info/125137/international_medieval_congress" target="_blank">International Medieval Congress</a><br />
held annually at the University of Leeds.Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-63236632932990886092014-10-01T08:33:00.000+01:002015-05-20T08:46:22.993+01:00Tolkien, Professor of English Language<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J.R.R Tolkien, University of Leeds </td></tr>
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On the 1st Ocober 1924 J.R.R. Tolkien started the new academic year at the University of Leeds as Professor of English Language.</div>
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After his appointment as Reader in English Language in 1920, he had been given the responsibility for the linguistic teaching of the language side of the syllabus in the English Department. <br />
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When George Gordon left Leeds Tolkien was a candidate for the Leeds chair. In the event it went to Lascelles Abercrombie, however the Vice-Chancellor at Leeds promised Tolkien that a new Professorship of English Language would be created.</div>
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<a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-seminar-2015/">2015 Tolkien Society Seminar, 4th July</a>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">The Hilton,</a> Neville Street, Leeds
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<a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/">The Tolkien Society</a>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-82926887384059288452013-10-01T08:28:00.000+01:002013-10-27T15:52:59.889+00:00Happy Anniversary!<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRjF-LJh4snlhJ3iDttq4mX9z2Jif8uc_ML86DsLPkybbQZ-94km5dVqPqO8S5Dogle26JpUFKvmHn-pkqy_k0mMJhEtswiWQ3dgalY8Yu6og4xhVy4lDTnU13MDVnIenXPwisanl1ASI/s1600/LBP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRjF-LJh4snlhJ3iDttq4mX9z2Jif8uc_ML86DsLPkybbQZ-94km5dVqPqO8S5Dogle26JpUFKvmHn-pkqy_k0mMJhEtswiWQ3dgalY8Yu6og4xhVy4lDTnU13MDVnIenXPwisanl1ASI/s320/LBP.JPG" width="240" /></a></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Well a year has passed since the <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/" target="_blank">Tolkien Society</a> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">with the Leeds Civic Trust unveiled the plaque at 2
Darnley Road. It stirred quite an interest in Tolkien and Leeds.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AIluSsn7BKcEDZNI5mJc5KvPbpPEUZTkMdXB4cC9J5DBtaLO2tjsLW5zCzrvCzIiuxOvmnGmQaB6PZqVgEmThWRZuOIJYWJG5PPw8SsLqjL-H2l1R0nKOWNI21A4_lw_Y4e4hvt8K2nt/s1600/Leeds+Uni+Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AIluSsn7BKcEDZNI5mJc5KvPbpPEUZTkMdXB4cC9J5DBtaLO2tjsLW5zCzrvCzIiuxOvmnGmQaB6PZqVgEmThWRZuOIJYWJG5PPw8SsLqjL-H2l1R0nKOWNI21A4_lw_Y4e4hvt8K2nt/s1600/Leeds+Uni+Portrait.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">There was a bulletin from the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3297/university_celebrates_jrrtolkien" target="_blank">University of Leeds</a><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> who also supported of the plaque. It includes a </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> the portrait of Tolkien from the 1920s when he</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> was a member</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> of the English
Faculty.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">It was followed by a piece during the run-up to the
release of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey</i> referring to materials held at the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19965058" target="_blank">Brotherton Library</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">For today’s residents of West Park the <a href="http://www.leodis.net/searchResults.aspx?LOCID=9999&DECADE=0&YEAR=&KEYWORDS=%20Darnley%20Road&KEYWORDS2=&KEYWORDS3=&ANDOR2=&ANDOR3=&RECSPAGE=5&VIEW=1&CURRPAGE=1" target="_blank">Leodis Photographic Archive</a> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">contains some period images of Darnley Road. These
provide an insight to the opportunities that Tolkien saw for himself and his
family at this time in their life. They had been living in St Marks Terrace (off
Woodhouse Lane) for the best part of three years, though life so close to the
city came with its own problems, <i>‘chemicals in the air rotted the curtains within six
months, and baby Michael was covered in smuts if he was left outside in his
pram for any length of time; and Ronald found that he had to change his collar
three times a day!’<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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</span>The move to what were the ‘leafy suburbs’ of north Leeds
must have been quite a prospect.</div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">It still is, and today <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2_Darnley_Road,_the_former_home_of_J.R.R._Tolkien_in_West_Park,_Leeds.jpg" target="_blank">2 Darnley Road</a> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">stands as a lasting memorial to the development of
Leeds and those who have come to live and work in this great city. </span></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ian Spittlehouse<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OWP</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Tolkien Society </span></span></div>
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Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-86634249676210096932012-10-01T17:41:00.000+01:002012-10-13T12:38:43.554+01:00The plaque is here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWosbu9z6rxX1xCMUZFvnWicvkYmsjWnFKHQdW9egnWh9IgvS5vIB43NyYV7yqkzNPkPMB2_H_nnbzirI_pOmc5f5ktL35hqhOR28ga1BumKkogsayCwaTmxA8furSHeYvDdIYjOVX4FR3/s1600/LBP+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWosbu9z6rxX1xCMUZFvnWicvkYmsjWnFKHQdW9egnWh9IgvS5vIB43NyYV7yqkzNPkPMB2_H_nnbzirI_pOmc5f5ktL35hqhOR28ga1BumKkogsayCwaTmxA8furSHeYvDdIYjOVX4FR3/s320/LBP+001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
It has been a long journey to get here, but this morning the plaque was unveiled to an audience invited by the Tolkien Society, Leeds Civic Trust and the West Park Residents Association.<br />
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The plaque at 2 Darnley Road, West Park was unveiled by Dr Kersten Hall a visiting Fellow at the University of Leeds. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RTcy8LgrCidW5CY5Vx5dpqidmyppNvjFzFpxtz8lZSJSNT2dLbQWgVQwwxiKTOEUwfv27uVHQTdEAgLtJ6CuoDXY207gLyZ1TkMbIFm-4YKT_gRjFqgaHB4ThfidxGONX-IfOvzhy6B-/s1600/ITS+and+LBP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RTcy8LgrCidW5CY5Vx5dpqidmyppNvjFzFpxtz8lZSJSNT2dLbQWgVQwwxiKTOEUwfv27uVHQTdEAgLtJ6CuoDXY207gLyZ1TkMbIFm-4YKT_gRjFqgaHB4ThfidxGONX-IfOvzhy6B-/s320/ITS+and+LBP.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was an honour to attend such an event and my thanks go out to everyone who helped make it happen.<br />
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<a href="http://www.leedsbookclub.com/2012/10/jrr-tolkien-blue-plaque-in-leeds.html">Leeds Book Club</a><br />
<a href="http://www.leedscivictrust.org.uk/default.asp?idno=1165">The Leeds Civic Trust</a><br />
<a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3297/university_celebrates_jrrtolkien">University of Leeds</a><br />
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<a href="http://headingleylitfest.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/blue-plaque-for-j-r-r-tolkien-more.html">Headingley Lit Fest </a><br />
with Ian left holding the bag <i>heh heh </i>;-)<br />
<a href="http://news.mymiddleearth.com/2012/09/28/tolkien-society-announces-tolkien-plaque-unveiling/">Middle-earth News</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/09/30/62473-tolkien-society-to-unveil-j-r-r-tolkien-commemorative-plaque-in-leeds/">The One Ring . Net</a><br />
<a href="http://geeksyndicate.co.uk/2012/10/01/blue-plaque-in-leeds-for-j-r-r-tolkien%E2%80%8F/">Geek Syndicate</a><br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/tolkien-society-to-unveil-blue-plaque-leeds-to-honor-j-r-r-tolkien/">The Examiner</a><br />
<i>For other reports search: plaque tolkien</i> Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-12678737800633692272012-09-30T16:34:00.001+01:002012-09-30T16:34:21.860+01:00BBC Radio LeedsListen in to the Breakfast program tomorrow with Larry Budd and a piece about the plaque (between 8:30 and 9:00)Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-63497056755282112582012-09-30T13:45:00.002+01:002012-09-30T13:45:51.941+01:00Article in the Yorkshire Evening PostA link to the online version of <a href="http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/leeds-did-meanwood-valley-inspire-middle-earth-1-4972265">Leeds: Did Meanwood Valley inspire Middle Earth?</a><br />
Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-47296725735941598882012-09-24T20:32:00.000+01:002012-09-25T09:00:19.948+01:00The Final CountdownThe Tolkien Society is pleased to announce that the Leeds Civic Trust will be siting a blue plaque at 2 Darnley Road, West Park, Leeds.
Dr Kersten Hall, graduate of St Anne’s College, Oxford and Visiting Fellow to the Faculty of Arts at the University of Leeds will unveil the plaque on the 1st of October 2012.
Ian Spittlehouse, Trustee and the Tolkien Society’s liaison with the representatives of West Park and the Leeds Civic Trust said, ‘This is a timely recognition of Tolkien’s tenure in Leeds, and a welcome addition to Yorkshire’s influence on his academic and literary career.’
J.R.R. Tolkien, graduate of Exeter College, Oxford, was Reader in English language at the University of Leeds, his family moved to Leeds residing briefly at 5 Holly Bank, Headingley and then leasing a house in St Mark’s Terrace. In 1924 Tolkien bought the semi-detached property in Darnley Road. He went on to be made Professor of the English Language at the university. The family lived there for over a year before Tolkien’s election to the Rawlinson and Bosworth chair of Anglo-Saxon saw them return to Oxford in 1926. During his time at the University of Leeds Tolkien was instrumental in shaping the English Language syllabus at the university; some aspects of this were still present sixty years later. He also worked with E.V. Gordon to produce an edition of the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which was published in 1925.
Tolkien’s time in Leeds prefaced his long academic career at Oxford and the publication of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. During his time in Leeds he was developing the story-teller’s art. He began writing The Father Christmas Letters, for his son, John, in 1920. In 1925 he composed a story for his second son, Michael, to explain the loss of a toy dog on the beach at Filey. This was eventually edited and published in 1998 as Roverandum.
The plaque will be unveiled at 11:30am on the 1st October 2012 at 2 Darnley Road, West Park, Leeds.
Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-67535889375468832682012-06-03T15:01:00.000+01:002012-06-03T20:24:59.722+01:00Summer Update 2012The plaque went into manufacture at the end of May and has been scheduled to be unveiled on the 1st October.Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-87756171654012881452011-12-08T09:01:00.001+00:002011-12-08T09:03:25.859+00:00Plaque text agreedThe Tolkien Society trustees and the Leeds Civic Trust have agreed on a text for the Darnley Road plaqueIan Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-3040346327766737022011-11-02T08:23:00.002+00:002011-11-02T08:30:20.022+00:00Recent spot on BBC Radio Leeds<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00kyn57">BBC Radio Leeds: Breakfast program</a><br />An item on the Darnley Road Blue Plaque from the 28/10/11 (clip is time limited)<br />Many thanks to the Leeds Book Club!<br />(The piece is 1hr 48mins into the program)Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-4310588717032197252011-10-24T13:07:00.003+01:002011-10-24T13:25:46.737+01:00Funding in Place!I am pleased to announce that with the promised contributions from The University of Leeds, The Tolkien Society and a number of generous private donations, we have achieved the funding target for financing the plaque.<br /><br />The plaque should be scheduled for unveiling in 2012, this will be subject to the Leeds Civic Trust's programme for installing such plaques.Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-50116920383121408042011-10-15T21:12:00.003+01:002011-10-15T21:19:29.041+01:00Autumnal UpdateWe're close, very close, to having the funding in place for the commissioning of the plaque. <br />Thanks to the generous donations of the Tolkien Society and members.Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-21186777005678270872011-06-07T18:29:00.005+01:002011-07-05T09:23:38.150+01:00Blue Plaque Progress<strong>21-22/5/11: Middle Earth Weekend @ Sarehole, Birmingham<br /><br />Leafleting and poster on Tolkien Society stand<br /><br /><br /><br />3/6/11: Amon Hen 229<br /><br />'Open Letter' by Ian Spittlehouse to Tolkien Society Members</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>5/7/11: Response to 'Open Letter'</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>The response to the open letter in Amon Hen has been generous and encouraging. </strong><br /><strong>Donations have been received by the Tolkien Society toward remaining funds for the Blue Plaque. Much Thanks!</strong>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-47753671314186385172011-06-07T18:28:00.001+01:002011-06-14T20:55:06.189+01:00Tolkien Society Resources<a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/">The Tolkien Society</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/ed/">Education Home page</a><br /><a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/ed/ed_site.html">Education pages</a><br /><br />Themed events<br /><a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/ed/reading_pack_leeds.html">Leeds</a>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2728402578426023864.post-53005265793340982552011-05-26T08:47:00.004+01:002017-09-28T16:36:57.991+01:00Blue Plaques<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYOS7s2OCzNVMiwsOgBToIf43ZF7boDr1iBCqTcsOblZCVhsqOhG8Y1WwJstR3AOkuauRdvbabKwDCAxiejnNiOpj0LzZiP8fECe_CdDvDC_ZPbafWb-mEkzAafNjbPDoFwEOv_dd_ocC/s1600/Tolkien%2527s_Sarehole_Mill_blue_plaque.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610928877603678722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYOS7s2OCzNVMiwsOgBToIf43ZF7boDr1iBCqTcsOblZCVhsqOhG8Y1WwJstR3AOkuauRdvbabKwDCAxiejnNiOpj0LzZiP8fECe_CdDvDC_ZPbafWb-mEkzAafNjbPDoFwEOv_dd_ocC/s200/Tolkien%2527s_Sarehole_Mill_blue_plaque.jpg" style="float: left; height: 178px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarehole Mill, Hall Green, Birmingham</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The first entry on this record of blue plaques marking J.R.R. Tolkien comes from Sarehole (now) in Birmingham. In 1896 Sarehole was a hamlet a mile south of the city. The mill at that time had been modified to meet the demands of an increasingly industrial region. For Tolkien and his young brother it was a place of adventure, both imagined and real, and definitely perilous.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLAoUC2mV01awyzOitHS27nZqEIm2GKwxVXZ8PYfB-zPTcI5P-Avanyi_sXLpDO7XKaK-_ixE4RcGJSQlmrkTiW6Yqg8on5PYoSR2rhJa12GGVszQ6nRPzlei4uCitgEClumnFTUCIFoD/s1600/Tolkien%2527s_Plough_and_Harrow_blue_plaque.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610929562146350546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLAoUC2mV01awyzOitHS27nZqEIm2GKwxVXZ8PYfB-zPTcI5P-Avanyi_sXLpDO7XKaK-_ixE4RcGJSQlmrkTiW6Yqg8on5PYoSR2rhJa12GGVszQ6nRPzlei4uCitgEClumnFTUCIFoD/s200/Tolkien%2527s_Plough_and_Harrow_blue_plaque.jpg" style="float: right; height: 171px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 170px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The second is also in Birmingham and commemorates a brief stay at the Plough and Harrow, in Hadley Road. He stayed here with his wife, Edith, 2 months after their wedding before traveling to London and then France to serve in the First World War.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tolkien first saw action in France on 14th July when he and his company (11th Lancashire Fusiliers 'B') were attached to the 7th Infantry Brigade tasked with attacking the hamlet of Ovillers. While providing the signalling in the tangled confusion of trench warfare he contracted a 'pyrexia of unknown origin' more commonly known as 'trench fever'. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valley Drive, Harrogate</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: x-small;">By the 8th of November he was back in Birmingham having been ill since the 27th October. By December he was well enough to leave hospital and initially convalesced at Great Haywood. Towards the end of this recovery he was taken iii again and sent to a sanatorium in Harrogate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Some more recent additions to the Yorkshire plaques marking Tolkien's time in region include one on the former Officer's Hospital near Hull; and the house in Hornsea where his wife Edith, and <em>her</em> cousin lived during his postings in East Yorkshire.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: x-small;">Bank Terrace, Hornsea </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 Darnley Road, West Park, Leeds.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tolkien bought this property in 1924 when he was employed as a Reader
in English Language at the university. In that same year he was made a
Professor of the English Language and became a father for the third time with
the birth of his youngest son, Christopher. The family lived at Darnley Road till
1925 when Tolkien’s application and election to the Rawlinson and Bosworth
Professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford saw the family move to Oxford.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 Northmoor Road, Oxford.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tolkien wrote 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' while he held his academic posts in Oxford. This plaque, on 20 Northmoor Road most accurately links the authors 'residence', to this work.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miramar Hotel, Bournemouth</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The final entry marks Tolkien's retirement when he and his wife enjoyed holidays away from Oxford. They would stay at the Miramar Hotel in Bournemouth.</span></div>
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On Line articles:<br />
<a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/blog/2014/06/a-hemlock-by-any-other-name/#more-2216">http://www.tolkiensociety.org/blog/2014/06/a-hemlock-by-any-other-name/#more-2216</a><br />
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The Telegraph<br />
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/centralengland/739039/Sites-that-shaped-Tolkiens-Lord-of-the-Rings.html">Real World sites that Shaped Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'</a><br />
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buyingsellingandmoving/8582185/Why-houses-with-history-will-sell.html">Blue Plaques and property</a>Ian Spittlehousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03510556653319463271noreply@blogger.com