What I Did on My Holidays part 2...

[curiouswombat]

On Friday morning Gill and I worked up an appetite for breakfast by walking the immensely long corridor to get to it at something like the crack of dawn. Then we drove over to the main part of campus so that we could take a lot of stuff into the workshop for a costume session later in the morning.

We were so careful to not be late doing this and managed to get to a long session by a lovely man called Bob Blackham at exactly 9.00am - but he was so enthusiastic he had started early - this was to be something of a pattern as so many of the speakers were very enthusiastic. This gentleman gave us a Photographic Tour of Tolkien's childhood, and then his time in Oxford, and finally his wartime experiences, all illustrated with contemporary pictures - it was fascinating.



Gill had offered to help with the costume workshop for the rest of the morning and I drifted in that way too. We both spent some of our time there over the next two days and had a ball - Gill helped one young man make a costume from scratch out of about an acre of shiny blue silk, we helped people adjust and change costumes, and put a couple together out of all the spare bits the wonderful Anke (who was in charge) had brought. I pinned, tacked a bit, made a cloak fastener and tootled around - Gill did some serious sewing... Here she is helping the young man, sitting, whose costume was made from scratch - and another young man who I think might have been another Fin - it was a very international gathering!




We also spent time over the weekend assisting a small boy glue sequins onto fabric to help make a Chinese-style dragon - whilst others were doing very academic stuff somewhere else!

I also did something very naughty - without realising... A lovely lady, who I later discovered to be muuranker had shown me, on Thursday whilst Gill was at a talk, how to find the back door of the building to make it easier to carry in a box of fabric and a sewing machine. Coming in that way on Friday morning meant that I didn't notice the sign on the proper entrance saying there was no photography in the exhibition area.

Although clearly the exhibitors didn't notice either, as the photo yesterday of Simo in his armour was taken by one of them... I would never have taken close-ups of the art work anyway - this was just to give an impression -




And here are some of the banners hanging from the balcony;






You can just see, on the first one, the jewellery stall - one of my favourite places. I bought myself some steam-punk stuff, and then solved the problem of what to get for my sister's birthday by buying her some lovely pieces made from blue goldstone.

Here is a beautiful artwork called Telperion which was on display - I'm afraid I didn't note down the artist's name.



And some wonderful beadwork by a lady called Laura Taylor; Siamese cats in Mordor...




(In Letter 219 Tolkien expressed his fear that Siamese cats belong amongst the fauna of Mordor!)

Crebain: a murder of Ravens;



And, most gloriously, a Warg Collar. (Sekrit Note to pellegrina - very you...!)




One of my favourite talks was on Friday afternoon - a lawyer called Murray Smith who discussed Contract Law and the arrangements between Bilbo and the Dwarves in The Hobbit - it appears it would make an excellent teaching tool to explain the basis of English Nineteenth Century Contract Law!

The two highlights of Friday, however, were Charlie Ross performing a one-man Lord of the Rings in an hour, and Tom Shippey talking about leadership styles as shown in the works of Tolkien - and as shown by various Professors (in the British sense) and other academics he had known!

There was a ceilidh after dinner - but I fear Gill and I, having been on the go non-stop for over 12 hours at that point, made our way back to Burleigh Court bar and checked our e-mails...

Comments

[spiced-wine.livejournal.com]

Wow, what some wonderful stuff. I love Telperion, and the banners - I would hang them all over the house! :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The banners are great, aren't they? I thought one of the Rohirric ones was my favourite, but then actually that pale, silvery, Gondorian one is rather beautiful, too...

[spiced-wine.livejournal.com]

Too many choices :) And so much talent. I am proud of the fandom!

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

That is some very lovely artwork.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

There was so much beautiful stuff on display - a major part of the whole event.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you didn't notice that sign as I wanted a photo of that tree!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Feel free! I genuinely didn't see the notice until I'd taken these - but I am happy I was so stupid, really!

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

Great photos! Thank the Valar you didn't see that sign.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I did feel a bit guilty when I did - but I'm guessing it is mainly to stop people taking pictures of the art work close-up and making their own prints - and I knew fine well not to do that!

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a wonderful, if slightly exhausting, time!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It was the same sort of exhausting good as WriterCon - only even longer with a much longer trek to breakfast and the bar!!

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

Telperion is amazing. In fact, the whole trip seems so :D I bet you cannot wait until next time.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is such a major event to organise that they only happen every 5-10 years :( So a long wait until next time, sadly.

[myrhiann.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you didn't see that sign, as the photographs are really interesting. I particularly like the 'Siamese cats in Mordor' necklet.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I couldn't decide whether I liked that, or the murder of crows, the most - both are fascinating, though.

murder of crows

[myrhiann.livejournal.com]

I agree. This one is just as fascinating as the other. I would be happy to wear either, given the chance.

[kathyh]

Wow! There's some fantastic artwork and the jewellery is stunning.

I hope the young man did some sewing on his costume too and wasn't leaving it all to Gill :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

He did, indeed, do some of the work. He basically cut out, pinned, and tacked under Gill's instructions and then she did the machining for him.

Actually I must also take a picture of the, more wearable under normal circumstances, jewellery that I bought from Heather - the young lady with the jewellery stall.

[shirebound]

How awesome to bathe and bask in so much Tolkienishness. *happy sigh*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It was brilliant - fans of all sorts from the Fellowship of the Green Dragon (of which more, later!) to academics. There was even a video greeting from Peter Jackson!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

Telperion is a stunner. I would love to make something like this.

Did you like the Siamese Cats neckpiece? That's more like the kind of work that I do and it would be easy to do one for you down the line (just ask Spiced about the two stars I beaded for her a couple of years ago).

The shiny blue fabric certainly was shiny and very blue. What was he making out of that?

- Erulisse (one L)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I couldn't quite decide between the murder of crows and the Siamese cats - they were both wonderful! I am in awe of anyone who makes that sort of thing.

I overheard someone say that the lady who made Telperion did the tree first and then spent ages buying all the bits under it as she found them over the next year or more.

And what was made from the shiny blue fabric was a floor length, long sleeved, gown with gold braid around the neck, in which he represented Ulmo. Or possibly Ossë!

[engarian.livejournal.com]

OK, I guess I could see Ulmo or Osse... But what a sea of blue to be looking at. I suspect I'd be running away screaming rather quickly :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a fascinating trip that was for you guys! I join the chorus of people who are glad you didn't notice that sign; I genuinely enjoyed the pictures. Neat stuff! I particularly lust after the banners, but it's all intriguing!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The banners looked so neat hung up above the central area - many had come from Tolkien groups throughout Europe and, indeed, outside Europe, too.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

The white tree was, I think, by Susan Frances Edwards (Tuilinde).

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Tall, elegant lady with short white hair? I thought it was her but didn't know her name. Thank you!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's the one.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

The flags! And the tree! Oh, all is so wonderful! :) And I want them all... :)))))

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Wait till you see a little of the costumes...!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Ah, being naughty has its rewards, at least! What terrific artwork--I keep finding myself squinting at the framed art in the center, of all those characters, wondering whose work it is and how I can see it close up.

The jewelry is exquisitely done. Definitely art more than "wearable" but really fascinating. And the banners! I have a nice spot for the blue, gold and red Rohirrim one in my living room...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The art work in that picture is (consulting my catalogue of the exhibition) by, I think, on the left Ruth Lacon, on the right, Sue Wookey, and in the middle, behind the others, by Catherine Chmiel-Gugulska whose website is here (http://kasiopea.art.pl/en/home). I was very taken with some of her pictures.

I did actually buy some more everyday jewellery - I must take a picture of it!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Oh, Catherine Chmiel-Gugulska! I love her work... her painting of Denethor, Thorongil and little Boromir is one of my favorites.

[ukamikanasi.livejournal.com]

So many pretties! That warg collar is really fantastic.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The warg collar is wonderful, isn't it? We were very taken with it.

[edge-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Thank you for bringing back all these happy memories. It was really a great few days.

Susan Edwards who made Telperion also ran the Poetry Circle I went to. She's the one how can compose rondeau redouble that work beautifully in both Quenya and English - unbelievable!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It was an excellent few days - and it was really nice to meet you.

She is an amazing lady - she makes her own costumes too!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Beautiful banners.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They were a very good way of brightening up that bit of the room - and there was a lot of work in them.