Heads up people! Welly-moot this coming Sunday!

A quick reminder about the upcoming Welly-moot this weekend.

The meeting will be held on :

Sunday, February 26th, 2:00pm

upstairs at the Embassy Cinema

For the first "proper" meeting I'm proposing a subject to start the ball rolling with, however if we completely veer off that, then I'm more than happy with that as well. I gather a few things have been happening to a few of us in the meantime, so I'm sure there will be plenty to discuss (the studio's Non-Disclosure Agreement allowing, of course!)

With a look towards the Hobbit movie being filmed here in Wellington, I would like start the first meeting with a discussion about how it all began - how did Gandalf end up with the map and key that he passes on to Thorin in Bag End, on that fateful night as The Hobbit book begins.


Mark Bednarowski from the UK Tolkien Society has written on the subject on at least two occasions now, articles which were published in their magazine Amon Hen (for those who subscribe, they are in issues 228 and 233). I'll have those issues with me as well, if anyone wants to brush up!




Apart from all the regulars (odd though that sounds, for our first meeting!), I'm also expecting Jens Götz from the German Tolkien Society (Deutsche Tolkiengesellschaft) who is currently travelling through New Zealand. Jens contacted me a few days ago.


So, please tell a few people - send a link to this page to all your Tolkien-lovin friends, and see you all at the Embassy at 2:00pm this Sunday!

Upcoming trip

Due to my upcoming trip to Europe later this year, I have changed the date of the June moot from June 24th to July 1st. All other details will remain as they are. Please update your calendars.


While in Europe I hope to make contact with the Dutch and Belgian Tolkien Societies. Also I'm absolutely planning a visit to the Tolkien Shop in the Netherlands!

I'll be in the Netherlands and Belgium mainly, and possibly a quick trip to Germany if there's time.

We're not going to make it to the UK on this trip, unfortunately. A pint at the Eagle and Child will have to wait for another time.


Is there anything else I should add to my list? Leave me a comment here or email me!

  - Jack

Acknowledged!

I see we've been added to the official list of Tolkien Smials on the Tolkien Society (UK)'s website.

We're RIGHT down the bottom! Which, geographically speaking, is exactly where we belong!

Welly-moot 0.7 (Jan 25, 2012)

I'd been trying unsuccessfully to meet up with a few people over the past few weeks, and had thought of a better way - I set up an impromptu Welly-moot meeting instead. It was supposed to be three or four people, it ended up being eleven!

The meeting format was the same as the moots before - turn up, greet, get acquainted, buy coffee and cake, and catch up on Tolkienish things.

As you can see, we achieved the goals with ease!

From left - Kumi, Alex (for once not taking the photo!) & me, Martyn, Rachel, Kris, and Judy. Missing are Shu (taking the photo), Rebecca & Peter, and Honey

Rachel and Judy had been travelling through the country, and Honey is temporarily a Wellington citizen. Kumi has been to a few of the meetings already. Martyn had been in touch with me via email to discuss Tolkien stuff in the past, and Kris and I needed to get together again to discuss the running of the Moots.

Was a fun afternoon, and more successful than my two-day planning would suggest!

  - Jack

The Middle-earth Song (by Fortinbras Proudfoot)

After the Dec 22 (2012) Welly-moot, Peter Kenny from the Fortinbras Proudfoot Esq. Foundation sent me another song to use on this website. Peter (aka Fortinbras Proudfoot) had earlier recited one of his poems for our group - here is another one (reprinted here with his permission):

The Middle-earth Song:

By Fortinbras Proudfoot
Tune: "I'm a Believer".

I thought Middle-earth was only in my dreams,
A land found in books and movies;
That has now all changed,
I've travelled to a land;
Imagination's now reality. Chorus:

I travelled that land;
There's no more dreaming.
Through Middle-earth;
And places so real.
I'm amazed....Yeh!
No more dreaming,
There's no dreaming anymore.

First we toured down to Bibo's Hobbiton.
Then off to Mount Doom and Mordor.
Walked Emyn Muil ;
Sat by Gollum's Stream.
Saw the mighty River Anduin; Chorus:

We entered Rivendell the Elven realm;
And magical Lothlorien.
Wore the Elven Cloak;
We "Got off the Road";
And strolled through Gardens of Isengard. Chorus:

In the South we climbed up to Edoras;
Travelled across the Rohan plains.
On the Pelennor,
Charged across the fields,
Like the bravest horsemen from Rohan. Chorus:

Our road led to Fangorn and Amon Hen,
And even to the Wizard's Vale;
The Ford of Bruinen,
Mighty Argonath,
With the Misty Mountains all around. Chorus:

Wellington's own Tolkien group - finally!

Welcome to the official blog of Wellington's very own Tolkien group, Welly-moot. It's been years in coming, but here it finally is. We're now officially affiliated to the UK's Tolkien Society, making us a real "Smial".


Tolkien's works have inspired many people around the world into creativity. Of course, Wellington has a few people who have taken that to extremes, so it seemed an unnatural situation to me that we did not yet have a Tolkien Society or Smial here in town. With this group, we hope to correct that!


The purpose of this group is to bring together people in Wellington who are interested in discussing the works of Tolkien in an informal setting. There's no tests, no grades, no "inner circles of wizardry", and no necessity to memorise parts of the Silmarillion. If your only interest lies in gazing deep into the eyes of Orlando Bloom's version of Legolas then I'm sure we can accommodate that - however if you know the answer to whether Balrogs have wings or not, then we're the group to come to also. Really, Tolkien is the red thread between us all, and we're keen to come together and celebrate his life's works.


We propose to meet every two months, on approximately the last Sunday of the even numbered months. So, this year's schedule is as follows:

• February 26th, 2:00pm at the Embassy Cinema
• April 29th, 2:00pm at the Embassy Cinema
• July 1st, 2:00pm at the Embassy Cinema (*Note the new date!)
• August 26th, 2:00pm at the Embassy Cinema
• October 28th, 2:00pm at the Embassy Cinema
• December 30th, 2:00pm at the Embassy Cinema

Watch this space though - there may be changes to this later as everything is in flux currently.

I'm currently setting up a Welly-moot presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ as well, and in he next few weeks I'll be linking them to this blog. Generally, this blog will be the main page for news, although Facebook tends to carry a lot of our online discussions. Join them all, they're all free!

Mushrooms (by Fortinbras Proudfoot)

At the December 22 (2011) Welly-moot, we were visited by Peter Kenny from the Fortinbras Proudfoot Esq. Foundation. Peter (aka Fortinbras Proudfoot) recited one of his poems for our group (reprinted here with his permission):

Mushrooms

By Fortinbras Proudfoot

Dark...Night!
Four hobbit lads set out.
The air it made them shiver,
The moon was just a sliver.

Sneak...Quiet!
There was no one about.
They crept along the hedgerow,
Staying quiet and keeping low.

Hoo...Hoot!
A strange noise in the night.
An old owl in a tree top,
Had startled them to a stop.

Look...See!
Lights shining through the trees.
The farmer's house was alight,
But their goal was now in sight.

Go...Quick!
So little time to pick.
There were mushrooms all around.
The youngsters grabbed all they found.

Bark!... Bark!
The farm dogs were awake.
Four Hobbit lads took to flight,
Running quickly through the night.

Run!... Run!
This wasn't so much fun.
Racing frightened down the lane,
Safely home they hoped to gain.

Hip!... Hooray!
"We whistled all the way.
Found the mushrooms in the park,
And bravely walked in the dark.
Nothing frightened us at all!"
Well, that's the story they told to all.