Return of the Ring.

I am having a fascinating time at Return of the Ring - the Tolkien Convention/Conference. Internet access at our hotel is a bit iffy - it was hit by lightning a few days before we arrived! But is here, and it is free....

Actually, Loughborough University was the base for Team GB on the run up to the Olympics - our hotel especially, and the staff tell us they were in 'lock-down' for the duration but it was very exciting. I must take photos of the fortifications!

I have photos of a few odds and ends already but will post them when I'm home I think - it is harder to resize etc. on the netbook.

I have met up with inzilbeth_liz and I'm sure I saw altariel today - but it was across a crowded lecture theatre so couldn't get to talk!

Anyone who gets the chance to see Charlie Ross doing his one man Lord of the Rings really should do so - he's in Edinburgh at the moment and flew down for the day to do it for us.

I had a wonderful tour by Powerpoint of Tolkien's childhood homes and schools, his life in Oxford and his time in WW1, considered the use of anachronism in The Hobbit, been involved in a costume workshop, helped a young gentleman stick sequins onto fabric to help make Smaug, heard a wonderful talk by Tom Shippey - and an almost equally fascinating one on law and The Hobbit - looking at Bilbo's contract with the dwarves in the light of contract law amongst other things!

There is a ceilidh tonight - but gillo and I chickened out and have retired to our hotel bar with large glasses and our computers... geeks? Us?