January 26 - February 1 Weekly Recap

This week has been rather slow relating to all things Tolkien

But that does not mean exciting things did not happen! And not just here in the United States, but around the world, from The Netherlands to Australia, and, of course, New Zealand. 

Think you are a fanatic Tolkien fan? Well check this out. Every single street in a Dutch neighborhood in the town of Geldrop is named after a character from Tolkien's works! I have a new addition to my bucket list: drive down Frodo street! Don't believe me? Check out the neighborhood on Google maps here or see pictures of the street signs here.

Sunday:

In case you haven't noticed, 2014 is the 100 year anniversary of the creation of Middle-earth. That's right. On September 24, 1914, J.R.R. Tolkien began laying the foundations of the histories and peoples of Middle-earth. In celebration of this event, Tolkien scholar John Garth wrote a short tribute on his blog, which you can read here.

Friday:

A sneaky artist created a Gollum installation at the base of a Norfolk pine tree in Scarborough beach park in Australia. The creature, situated behind a small door, stares at passersby through a single window. Read more about this surprising find at the Courier Mail website.

Saturday: 

J.R.R. Tolkien's very own revolver from World War I, which saw service in the Battle of the Somme, is now on display at the Imperial War Museum in Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. For those of you who have an interest in firearms, it is a Webley Mk V, the standard issue for the British army during WWI. You can visit the museum website via this link.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is coming to the UK for the first time in a five-disc Blu-ray steelbook format on March 24. Pre-order your copy today at http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GRTVUTS.

Arthur Rankin Jr., director, producer, and writer of the 1977 animated The Hobbit and the 1980 animated The Return of the King, died at the age of 89 in his home in Harrington Sound, Bermuda. With his partner Jules Bass, he helped establish the Rankin/Bass Production House, won a Peabody Award, and pioneered in stop-motion animation.