Oxonmoot 2007

Reports - Part two

Part One

Oxonmoot 2007: First-timers Impressions

Our attendance at Oxonmoot began with a visit to the famous Eagle and Child pub. This was on the direct pedestrian route from Oxford railway station to Lady Margaret Hall. We, therefore, had to stop and drink in the atmosphere!

On arrival at the college we had a problem-free check-in and quickly settled into our twin en-suite room overlooking the Sunken Garden. With the aid of the college map we were soon exploring the beautiful grounds and buildings before attending the first-timers' registration. Again this was hassle-free and was accompanied by a welcome cup of tea. Clearly the weekend's programme, handed out at registration, would take some time to digest.

Our first social event involved meeting up with Ian, Julie, Laura and Mike (fellow members of our local smial, Southfarthing) in the college bar before relocating to the dining-hall for the formal dinner. This was a very social affair and we were soon chatting to a number of other delegates. The dinner was rounded off with an hilarious "Lord of the Goons" show before the members of our smial and some of our new acquaintances retired once more to the bar. By the time we finished, it was well past our normal bedtime.

Saturday morning was a time for decision making. Which events should we attend? There was such variety - presentations, drama, quiz, slide-show, plus the need to fit in a visit to the art display and dealing room. Of the events we did attend, we particularly enjoyed the Cambridge Tolkien Society's readings from the LotR BBC radio adaptation, the paper by Charles Bressler on The Significance and Place of Laughter in J.R.R. Tolkien, and the paper on Horace's Ars Poetica and LotR by fellow Southfarthing member Ian Spittlehouse. We also enjoyed visiting the art gallery and dealer's room. Our strength started to falter by 5pm so we retired to the much-appreciated Hospitality Room for a reviving cup of tea.

At 6pm we were in the fray again - firstly at the barbecue and then at the party. The masquerade was excellent, as was the quality of the entertainment. The LotR version of the "Sound Of Music" was one of the most popular acts - the audience required an encore. The night didn't finish there though, as our group retired to the bar for further lubrication before someone suggested attending a roof-top party, being held elsewhere in the college. We declined the invitation (we know our limits!) but we did hear that some of our group kept going until 3am!

On Sunday we were up bright(?) and early for the guided walk around a number of Tolkien-related venues near to Lady Margaret Hall. The walk finished in the local park where the Tolkien Society had sponsored a bench and trees in memory of J.R.R. Tolkien. Following this, we joined the three coach-loads of delegates who were visiting Tolkien's grave. The wreath-laying ceremony was very moving and was held in perfect weather.

Overall we enjoyed the event very much and can only thank the organisers for the hard work they had put in to make the event such a success. We have already booked for Oxonmoot 2008. Our only fear is how we will be able to cope with the planned extra day!

Angela Nicholas and Chris Mac Arthur

A Poet's Account

The three days of Oxonmoot are among my favourite of any year. This was my second time, the second of many more I hope. We were blessed with glorious weather in a lovely environment. The elegant architecture alongside the University Parks and the River Cherwell were very uplifting. Due to the weather being so good, my friends and I were able to have a picnic lunch outdoors on the Saturday and to stroll around the leafy Park at leisure. We found the bench where Tolkien regularly used to take his ease and from where he got the inspiration for Laurelin and Telperion.

The whole event was very well organised especially the Saturday night 'Ents', held in the oak-panelled dining room. I read out a selection of my Middle-earth poetry amid a programme of song, comic and serious, and the magnificent Masquerade. The inventiveness of the costumes and the skill with which they are made always astonishes me, not being a needlewoman myself.

There was a wide variety of papers given but as usual I only made one of them: Ian Spittlehouse's Ars Poetica and The Lord of the Rings, which I found very interesting as it related the Horatian concept in medias res to parts of Tolkien's style of writing in The Lord of the Rings. This was expertly delivered with some high-tech visual aids to make the idea accessible to numpties like me. It was also an idea I would never have thought of, not being familiar with classical writing. I'm sorry I missed Jessica Yates' paper The Goths and the Huns Re-visited as I'd just read a history of the Goths; but it clashed with the sound-check time for the Ents.

Together with a friend I went to listen to part 1 of the Cambridge Tolkien Society's reading from the Radio 4 serialisation. This part concluded with 'The Choices of Master Samwise' and the tissues came out, especially at lines like: 'Don't go where I can't follow'. I'd heard the CTS at Aston in 2005 and I take my hat off to them.

Blame talking for my attendance at only two events. This is one of the few chances in the year when I can just talk Tolkien ad infinitum and not get glazed looks in return, especially with living in a Tolkien desert. Perhaps the greatest pleasure of Oxonmoot is being with like-minded friends.

There were many opportunities to spend far too much money in the saleroom and I grabbed them with both hands. The beauty is that one can buy things that cannot be obtained elsewhere. My prize buys were William Morris and Charles Williams books but they're just the tip of the iceberg. Blackwells and Borders were also raided, so I returned home a wee bit laden.

Everyone was very chatty and friendly. Chris Crawshaw gave a very moving address at Enyalië and Denis Bridoux was perfect in his rendition of Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen. Out came the tissues again, not only at the ceremony but also at the realisation that this was the end of another Oxonmoot and that I had a whole year to await another one.

But... next year it's going to be four days instead of three. And next year I'm going to attend more talks. I might even give one if I can get my act together. Now, there's a threat! Whatever happens, it'll be a great pleasure just to be there.

Carol Brownlow

 

Part One