piątek, 22 września 2017

Tolkien and Birmingham Oratory: my visit

More about Tolkien and the Birmingham Oratory see here.

Report from your Tolkienite "Indiana Jones"... Last July I visited Birmingham during a Catholic pilgrimage (I was a guide of this lovely group from a Silesian parish – our goal was Scotland and Northern England). We were welcomed to celebrate our two Holy Masses in the Birmingham Oratory where our host was its Parish Priest, Father Anton Guziel (whose family came to England from our Silesia!). Father Anton was so kind to show us the Oratory Library with its Tolkien souvenirs from the time when Mabel Tolkien and her sons were members of the parish community by the Oratory. Let us see my photographs. Your comments are welcome!

Birmingham Oratory, a sanctuary of the Roman Catholic tradition. Here young Ronald Tolkien served as altar boy
Young Tolkien's primary school by the Oratory
Plates with the names of late Father of the Birmingham Oratory
According to Father Anthon, Father Francis Morgan was Tolkien's inspiration of... Gandalf!
Father Anton said that the Fathers of Oratory live like the Hobbits in their small "holes".
Father said that it is quite possible that these corridors were Tolkien's inspiration of the Hobbit homes
The Oratory Library. See the desk and a trunk under it...
Mabel Tolkien's trunk!

... and happy Galadhorn
Mabel Tolkien's unknown to me photo!
“Exor.” means ‘executor’. Father Francis was executor of Mabel Tolkien’s estate. That booklet contains Father Francis’ accounts of settling her financial legacy

As above - accounts kept in £-s-d
Mabel's book of prayer

First pages of Mabel's book of prayer

Christmas blessings from Father Francis Morgan!
J.R.R. Tolkien's book of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

2 komentarze:

  1. “Exor.” means ‘executor’. Father Francis was executor of Mabel Tolkien’s estate. That booklet apparently does not contain Mabel’s ‘exercises’ but Father Francis’ accounts of settling her financial legacy. And the next picture indeed shows accounts kept in £-s-d. No link at all that I can see to music.

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  2. Mithrennaith, thank you for your precious note. I will correct this error. Thank you very very much.

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