I met a fellow BDer!!

[Mithalwen]

Alex Lewis wasn't there you can imagin how controllable my grief was Lal, ...... but there was a lot of truly dreadful poetry, some folk singing - which was fine but basically the same tune regardless of subject matter and the truly wonderful "Sound of Mumaks" presented by the Cambridge Tolkien Society...... All together now "How do you solve a problem like Moria?" ....

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Right, if you want a nice little report about Oxonmoot, I got one on my blog.
http://hukbillgoomba.livejournal.com/67249.html#cutid1

Mithalwen, you were at Oxonmoot? Why didn't you try and find the rest of us? Think yourself too good for us, eh?

[Mithalwen]

The reverse if anything.... it took me all day to introduce myself to Lal who I had chatted with quite a bit from PMs etc and that was only when she was on her own, to intoduce myself to Lal and Dave together would have been too terrifying. Then I literally didn't know what I was doing as regards how long I was going for until Wednesday or when I would arrive ... and then it was too late and I left it to fate and fate said "No"....

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Alex Lewis wasn't there you can imagin how controllable my grief was Lal, ...... but there was a lot of truly dreadful poetry, some folk singing - which was fine but basically the same tune regardless of subject matter and the truly wonderful "Sound of Mumaks" presented by the Cambridge Tolkien Society...... All together now "How do you solve a problem like Moria?" ....

Now I'm really angry that I missed the one year that was not blighted by the 'singing' of Mr Lewis.

Although I did miss a chance to annoy by starting an argument about how folk music is actually good

Originally Posted by Squatter

I'll say this for the TS: they know how to drink; and by 'drink' I mean anything and everything that they can lay their hands on.

Yes, it's the English disease I spent a long time after the last Oxonmoot worrying I had made a plonker of myself with Joanna Tolkien because I was introduced to her while sitting on a park bench in the darkness (to which we had retreated so as to swear copiously about the Ents without directly hurting anyone's feelings...and so that we could still see in and laugh at a certain singer), well oiled with cider and stinking of an excessive consumption of cigs and cheesey Nik Naks. There was a roof party (of sorts) last year - unfortunately this happened above my room on the Friday, one of several designated as the 'quiet' block - I trust this was not the case this year or our esteemed pal Alan may have had to spend a night sleeping on a bench in the quad once more and I don't think it did him very much good - I shall have to get davem to ask him...I believe last year Mr narfforc was so drunk he went to sleep at teatime and woke up at 4am on Sunday morning looking for the party

Did you know that at the Birmingham event the TS had drunk the local pub quite literally dry by Sunday night - but being troopers, everyone went and sat outside the pub anyway.

Next year we may or may not be able to bring the newest Downer of all. This depends on how good the cider harvest has been though.

[Bêthberry]

Next year, if they do a Pythonesque Beren watching Luthien dancing in the forest, I'll be there.

Gollem: "I'm so hungry I could eat a fish called Wanda."

Frodo: "It's only a flesh wound."

Gimli: "What makes you think she's a witch?"
Boromir: "Well, she turned me into a newt."
Gimli: "A newt?"
Boromir: "Well, . . . sort of."

Shadowfax: "I don't use coconuts"

[narfforc]

You are quite correct Lal I was drunk last year and did miss The Ents. I had a great time this year though, managing to get to most of the lectures I wanted to. It was very good to meet Hooky, Squatter and Guinevere for the first time, and Esty once again, I hope you will all come again, along with some more Downers maybe. This is my umpteenth Oxonmoot, so I will let the enthusiasm of The First Timers speak for itself, and Squatter has done a fabulous job of that. I will close by saying that some of us Elder Mooters have decided to try and organise a Yulemoot in Leeds, watch this space.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I'm quite disappointed that Mithalwen was there and we didn't get to know her! I kept looking on Saturday, but since I had no idea what I was looking for, it was no surprise that I couldn't find her. Did you recognize any of us, Mith? Most of us had our nicks on our badges.

I think we already set a record for most Downers in the same place at the same time, what with five of us together at the party, but six would have been even better! We shall see what next Oxonmoot brings.

I really enjoyed meeting Hookbill for the first time; he really is as crazy in person as he seems when he's prowling around Mirth, yet he is also very intelligent, an interesting conversationalist, and a gregarious companion. His Tom Bombadil costume was greatly applauded at the party.

I've already met Squatter on several previous occasions, so I looked forward to seeing him again. He is brilliant and hilarious, very knowledgable on more than just Tolkien, and a snappy dresser besides. His all-black outfit on the first evening was a model of stylish individuality. Though not actually a costume, we convinced him that the black shirt and tie which he wore with the equally black jacket and very elegant vest made him look like a Ringwraith at a business meeting!

Narfforc knows so many people, being a long-time Oxonmoot attendee, so we didn't see him as often, but he was as funny as ever when we did. He had exciting news about his finished parody (which he manages to quote almost as often as I do the REB!), and in my opinion, he looked better in his blue wizard costume without the white wig and beard.

The Downer I saw most while in England was Guinevere. We met in London earlier in the week because we both wanted to see the LotR musical. (Review soon to be posted on the thread concerning the musical.) We enjoyed each other's company right from the beginning, had a lot of common interests to talk about, and saw a lot of London on foot, since the weather was too gorgeous to tempt us down into the Tube when not absolutely necessary. We had picnic lunches in the park and on Trafalgar Square, looked at the memorials in Westminster Abbey, and popped down to Brighton to see the Royal Pavilion before going on to Oxford.

Guinevere is a person with many interests, well worth getting to know in depth, though not a person who puts herself into the limelight. She has read so widely that I ended up writing down a lot of book recommendations, is fluent in several languages, and knows more plant and flower names than I do (as I found out when we went to the Botanic Gardens in Oxford), so I was able to profit from her knowledge.

My personal impressions of my first Oxonmoot:

I thought the people were very friendly, in general; it wasn't difficult to strike up a conversation with them, whether newbies like myself or old-timers. The time schedule was a bit cramped, with art and dealer's rooms open only during the same times when lectures and workshops were held, for the most part. My favourite lecture was the one on the meaning of laughter in Middle-earth: a fascinating topic, researched by a US professor and his students and to be published in the future. Highly recommended!

My favourite activity was listening to the Cambridge Society's reading of parts of the BBC's LotR script. I had already heard them in 2005, knew from two whom I had seen at the German seminar this spring that they were coming to perform, and had looked forward to that very much. It was wonderful, both funny and moving.

The Art Show had some excellent pictures; Anke Eissmann was there to show her wonderful paintings, and I was very impressed with several of the artists' works. My "Leaf and Star" wall hanging was also displayed.

I don't yet know if I will plan to come again next year, but I would certainly enjoy the opportunity. Perhaps we can break the record we set this year!

[Mithalwen]

I may have seen you disappearing into a building the other side of the Quad on friday evening when I was waiting to register if you were wearing a grey trouser suit , I now realise I was in the bar at the same time as Squatter and Narfforc .. but I wasn't sure that Narfforc was Narfforc without the Father Christmas beard and I had no idea that Squatter was there or what he looked like. I think Hookbill may have attended some of the same lectures but I didn't make a positive ID till the masquerade which was rather late in the day and since I was with someone who had just bought me a pint I couldn't really break away... My eyesight is good but I can't read 10 point fonts at a distance.

[Guinevere]

As usual my account is belated...

As you could gather from Esty’s report, we already met in London on Monday. Although it was the first time we met, we immediately got on splendidly and had a great time together. She is a wonderful person, very outgoing and friendly and we share many interests, (in addition to Tolkien.) I feel I have found a real friend in her!
We went to see the LotR musical which I enjoyed very much ( I had been a bit sceptical about that, but Nafforc’s excellent review had convinced me that it was worth seeing.)
We did a lot of walking in London und saw a Shakespeare play in the Globe on the second evening. (It was “Love’s Labour’s lost” and fortunately I had prepared myself and read it beforehand.)
We then spent a day in Brighton where we visited the Pavilion and walked along the sea and in the old town. It was interesting, but I like Oxford much better.

Before going to the Oxonmoot we waited in the “Bird and Baby” for Hookbill who proved to be a very interesting and nice young man. He showed us then the way to Lady Margaret Hall, which I found to be a beautiful place.

After dinner (which I found delicious) we met Squatter – I’d been looking forward to meeting him in person, since I have for years very much enjoyed and admired his brilliant posts on the Downs. I therefore was at first rather awestruck. But he turned out to be very nice and friendly (and handsome, not looking like Cardinal Richelieu as I had been picturing him for ages )
As he mentions I talked very little, but then it was interesting enough to listen to all those fascinating people, and I was intent on understanding everything.
I hadn’t been in an English speaking country for more than 30 years and so am more used to reading and writing in English than to speaking it.

The various lectures I attended on Saturday were interesting and I had no problems understanding them, but I admit I got very little of “the Lord of the Goons” and some of the “Ents”.
Nafforc whom we met later, was also very nice, and had a gorgeous costume at the party.

I also enjoyed the Art Show very much, especially Anke Eissmann’s beautiful pictures and Esty's lovely quilt.

On the whole I had a very good time in England, and I hope to go there again before long.