Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Just come across this book - published a couple of years ago - and it doesn't seem to have been mentioned in Nottstalgia which is a bit surprising. Seems there's a link between JRR Tolkien (the guy who wrote Lord of the Rings) and Gedling. A quick summary.......... Tolkien was born in 1892, and for most of his younger days lived in the Birmingham area. Several times in the early 1900s he visited his aunt, Jean Neave, who lived at Phoenix Farm, Arnold Lane, Gedling, which was roughly opposite the church, where Jessops Lane joins Arnold Lane. On his visits he'd help on the farm and wander round the local countryside. The farm was demolished in 1954, but its name survives in the nearby Phoenix Farm Estate. On one of his trips to Gedling, Tolkien composed a poem called "The Voyage of Earendel the Evening Star" which Tolkien-ists now reckon was the start of his writings about Hobbits and Pixies and mythological worlds. His aunt Jean was a very strong, influential personality, and researchers believe she was the inspiration for Gandalf; and it was the walks around the fields and lanes of Gedling/Lambley which sparked Tolkien to create places like Mordor, Middle Earth, Esgaroth and Rivendell. So there's a possibility that Hobbits and Elves were based on the locals of Gedling in the 1920s. Phoenix Farm was very close to where the Grey Goose used to be. The pub wasn't built when Tolkien was around, but the idea of Bilbo Baggins and Gollum staggering out of the Grey Goose is interesting. The book is only about 70 pages long. Even if Tolkien and pixies aren't your thing it's interesting because it contains a lot of photos of Gedling in the first half of the 20th century. You can buy it through Amazon, but I've also seen it in WHS Vic Centre if you just want to flick through 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Surprising stuff isn't it. I attended author Andew Morton's talk about this book at the Lowdham Book Festival back in 2008. Very interesting and entertaining it was too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,326 Posted December 12, 2012 Report Share Posted December 12, 2012 Just read the Tolkein article posted by Cliff Ton and was surprised, nay, shocked to hear that the Grey Goose is a gonner! When did that happen? Last time I was there was on an evening bikers meet about ten years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted December 13, 2012 Report Share Posted December 13, 2012 grey goose closed its doors for the last time about 2 years ago and was knocked down this year for rebuildingi think it to be a shop or could be an old [eoples care home carnt remember which onethey were laying foundations last week when i went by in the car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted December 13, 2012 Report Share Posted December 13, 2012 Used to love going to the Goose, on a Thurs or Friday night i think ? Always had a live band and reasonable prices, good times. Ususally we did the circuit, Cavo Goose, Carlton then home. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 1, 2016 Report Share Posted December 1, 2016 I do believe Smith of Wootton Major was also influenced by his visits ..even though written in the late 60's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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