Oxford! Part II and Tolkien

olkien in Oxford! (cross-posted from my writing blog)

I had no idea when writing my A to Z Blogging Challenge on the Inklings posts that we would take a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Oxford the month after the challenge!

Here's a belated A to Z linked post, then, sharing all the main Tolkien-related photos from our trip.

The Lamb and Flag, across from the Bird and Baby -- er, the Eagle and Child, two pubs at which the Inklings used to meet.

I've had drinks at the Eagle and Child before, and we didn't have time to go in this time around...

The Botanical Gardens.

I wanted to see Tolkien's Tree, a black pine, but apparently it was felled a few years ago!

All that remains are these celebratory illustrations. Very sad.

Magdalen College, where the Inklings met in C S Lewis' rooms on Thursday nights:

Starting point of Addison's Walk, frequented by Lewis, Tolkien, and Dyson

The view of the grounds to the north, which is the direction Lewis' rooms looked out on.

He could see deer, but I'm not sure if there are any still there.

Croquet

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense

Booklets and postcards -- the owl is by Tolkien

Merton College, Tolkien's college:

And T S Eliot's college too!

Visit to Wolvercote Cemetery:

Lots of people seem to leave coins from various countries, so we left a few Swiss coins, as we didn't have any Canadian coins with us.

It's been 105 years since Tolkien's trip to Switzerland.

I won't be sharing ROW80 updates at the start of the current round, as I'll be away on a work trip for a lot of the time and I'm hoping to get some editing done on my own stories while away! Hope to have some real updates when I get back. And to catch up on all the comments, too!

If you'd like to sponsor an ROW80 round, please sign up!

Also, if you'd like to write a guest post for this blog, please let me know!

I'd like to do a series of summer/autumn guest spots.