Collecting Tolkien - Stamps

Again this is quite a small area of Tolkien collecting.

As with most areas there are some complexities, for instance there are lots of different organisations which issue different first day covers for an issues of stamps and they can also have different frankings.

Total Items: 35 (sets counted as one item)

The first stamps I have are the GB 1992 Tolkien Centenary Prestige book. I also have these as a set of first day covers and a first day cover featuring the booklet.

The next stamps are the GB 2004 50th Anniversary. I have a presentation pack, a first day cover and a set of first day cover stamp postcards.

The GB 1998 Magical Worlds stamps featured a Tolkien stamp. I have this set as a presentation pack and a first day cover.

All the other stamps I have relate to the movies.

I have an Isle of Man 2003 Return of The King 2 pound miniature sheet and first day cover, as well as the lower denominations as a miniature sheet, first day cover and postcards.

From New Zealand I have, for all 3 Lord of the a Rings movies and for all 3 Hobbit movies, a set of maxi cards and a presentation folder (containing a first day cover, stamp strip and a set of stamp sheets).

I also have a separate first day cover for a couple if the movies.

I have a Tolkien Buckingham first day cover signed by Christopher Lee.

The only other Tolkien stamps I have are from Kyrgyzstan, a 2001 Lord Of The Rings Stamp Sheet.

The Marathon Experience

This was one of the best experiences of my life.

My tip for enhancing the experience, is to do a big event, if possible one of the majors and if possible in another country.

The marathon experience is not just one day, it is a whole journey. It starts when you enter and get a place, continues through the training, culminates when you cross the finishing line and lingers on through the recovery and sharing your memories. It's at least 3 months.

I would recommend gaining a minimum level of running experience before you attempt a marathon, although this is not essential for a great experience, it just gives you a little bit of a head start.

As explained in my first blog about running, I started running when my body was no longer capable of more impact type sport, specifically damage to my knee made it impossible to play football any more, or any sport involving sharp changes of direction. I could however run ok. After a very casual start on my own, I joined a local running club and was casually running twice a week. The club kept me motivated and built up my fitness, I also ran in a few local events at medium distances (up to 10k).

A few friends of mine were further ahead of me on the running journey and had entered the Paris marathon. I went along to support. This experience inspired me to have a go myself.

With my friends, we entered the Chicago marathon. It is good if you can do the marathon with a few friends, this not only gives you a shared experience with other people to discuss everything with, but it is also a great motivational help.

The marathon experience really starts with training 3 months before the event. The core of this is gradually getting your body used to running long distances. It involves increasing each week the distance you run until you peak at the marathon itself, this is your weekly long run. Alongside this you should also do other types of running throughout the week to improve strength, cardio and stamina. You should run 3 to 4 times a week during your training.

To do this it is best to follow a training plan. There are quite a few freely available and they are fairly similar in format, but you will need to determine what level of plan you need. This is based on the time you would like to do the marathon in. If you have not done a marathon before then this can be quite hard to determine. If you do some running already then this should give you some indication as to what you should aim for. If you have not done any running before but are quite fit then this could also help you decide. If it is your first marathon then do not try to be too ambitious with your expectations, but don't worry as you can adjust your training plan as you go.

I used the basic runners world plan, for a 4:30 time, but adopted it a bit to suit me.

On a Sunday I would follow their long training distance plan (I wasn't interested in any particular pace, just doing the distance). I would always do my long run on my own with my headphones. I found these increasing longer runs quite hard, giving up a few times, but also very rewarding when you finished one. They are a big part of the experience and a big reminder of the marathon to come. For any distance over 10k I would use a gel at every 10k. It took a while to get used to the gels, but it was worth it as they really keep you going. I built up a playlist to listen too and the 2 songs I remember the most were Paparazzi by Lady Gaga and Halo by Beyoncé. I had a specific route I would do, a 6k loop which I would do multiple times, I really liked my route but it may have been better varying it a bit more.

During a typical week I would go out with the running club. On a Tuesday we would to a sprint session i.e. various fast/recover runs, this helps build up stamina. On a Thursday we would do a medium steady run (approx 10k). It was good to do this with the club as it kept me motivated.

If I had time I would also do another run, often quite short, normally 5k. Sometimes I'd do this at the gym on a running machine.

Throughout the 3 months training I also did some local races. These are good as they give you some race experience and a chance to try out pacing in a race environment. They also add to the whole experience. I did a 10k race, at Silverstone race track, about 1 month into the plan, and then a half marathon about 2 months in. The half was quite a big event in Nottingham, it was a great experience in its own right and gave me a big confidence boost.

During the training it is a good idea to be using the same equipment as you will be using in the race. Use the actual trainers (it is best to get proper running trainers and if possible get them properly fitted at a running shop), the same kit, the same gels, the same sports drink, the same water bottle. Some big marathons have sports drinks available so it can be useful to be using the same during training (although some runners prefer a specific type, stick to what works best for you).

One thing we did to motivate ourselves, and another good tip, was to have a movie night where we watched a great motivational movie called Spirit of the Marathon which is a documentary following the journey of various people of different ability as they prepare and run a marathon (in fact it is features the Chicago marathon, which was a bonus).

For the actual marathon itself we flew out on the Friday, 2 days before the marathon itself. This meant that the whole experience was enhanced with an extended stay in a major city I had never been before, with some friends.

when we arrived we checked into the hotel then went to the marathon Expo to get our race numbers. Being a big marathon it had a large Expo with lots of running related stands to look round. I got a transfer on my arm of my pace timings so I could easily keep track during the race, although I had followed a 4:30 training plan I felt I should try for a 4:00 time (my half marathon had gone well).

The next day we had found a local pre-marathon run to join (actually we sort of gate crashed the event as it was a bit exclusive, but we got away with it), it gave us a light warm up before the race. This was another good experience, as it was organised by a local sports shop and had some guest runners, some older marathon celebrities. During the rest of the day we wondered around the city to see some of the sites, particularly to check out the start/end of the marathon. A good tip is to also determine exactly where you will meet up after the marathon, as it gets very very crowded, and, if you have any spectators with you, where exactly they will be watching the race from and which side of the road, as it is very hard to see people within the crowd. It is important to not do too much during the day as you don't want to tire yourself out too much. In the evening we went to the official pasta party. It is good to carb load before a race and big events often organise a pasta event. It is a good idea to get all your marathon kit ready for the next day.

Marathon day starts early, we got a reasonable breakfast and then off on the train to the start. 

Being a big event the start is huge with lots of people. Being early it is also very cold, with a bit of time to wait, a good tip it to wear something to keep you warmer whilst waiting, but which you can throw away when you start running, lots of people use refuse sacks. People are really crowded in at the start and it's very exciting. You build up quite a bit of nervous energy just before the start and then all of a sudden your off. The start is always quite slow as it takes a while for the crowd to get moving and thin out. In Chicago there is a huge underpass just after the start, under which, because of the long wait/nervousness/cold, loads of men stopped to have a pee, it was quite surreal.

I must admit there are big chunks of the marathon which I don't remember as I managed to get into a steady rhythm and it just went passed. I do remember the large crowd of supporters, particularly early, with lots of cheering and encouragement. I remember various musical entertainments, quite a selection of different types of bands spread out across the marathon, which was also an boost. Both of these are another reason for doing a big event. I also remember various water stations and taking my gels. I also spotted the supporter who went with us which was another good boost. What I don't remember was seeing much of the city, I was too focused on my running. In fact I totally missed going through the colourful China town district and I also  missed a huge ornamental fountain at the end of the race.

The last few miles are very hard. You are just so tired and exhausted. My pace slowed down considerably. I remember the last few hundred yards being slightly up hill which was awful and there were huge crowds cheering. Finally crossing the line was an immense relief, I had done it. My time was just under 4 hours, 3:56, which I was overjoyed with, I had gone at such a steady pace for three quarters of the race that the lack of pace for the last bit didn't matter too much.

I was very tired immediately after the race, staggered through the long finish area, getting my medal, some water, goody bag and warm covering before joining the huge crowds of finishers and supports. I met up with the rest of my group, at the pre-arranged meeting point - good perpetration, who were all faster than me. And shared experiences. It actually didn't take me very long to recover quite a bit and, by the time we left the marathon area, I was felling ok.

We made a leisurely way back to our hotel, basking in our achievements. After a brief shower and change, we headed to the nearest pub for a celebratory drink. I slept well that night and felt surprisingly good the day after, a little stiff/achy. Being a bigger trip we didn't have to return home straight away so had time to spend the next day exploring Chicago, it's a really nice place.

As an addition to the marathon, which again added to the whole experience, our trip was extended and we rented a car and drove to New York for a few days. The was an excellent road trip, but was more of an added holiday, although we did go for a run in Central Park, another great experience.

When we got back home, there was lots of reminiscing with family and friends, all of which continuos the experience.

Overall, running a marathon is a fantastic experience I would recommend to anyone and it is also an achievement which I am very proud of.

Collecting Tolkien - Dolls and Figures

This area is often combined with Action Figures as a company normally produces a range of both areas at the same time.

This is not a big area but there are a lot of diverse items from a lot of different companies. I don't particularly collect these but I do have a few.

This area does not include ornament figures.

Total items: 54

These are the dolls and figures I have.

Barbie (3)
Yes, there are some official Tolkien Barbie dolls. These are based on the movies.

I have:

Legolas

Galadriel

Arwen and Aragorn

Toybiz

Deluxe Poseable (10)

These are 12" dolls based on The Lord of the Rings movie.

I have:

Fellowship: Frodo

Fellowship: Aragorn

Fellowship: Galadriel

Fellowship: Arwen

Fellowship: Gimli

Fellowship: Gandalf

Two Towers: Bilbo

Two Towers: Ringwraith

ROTK: Legolas

ROTK: Aragorn

Deluxe Figures (8)

These are 10" dolls based on The Lord of the Rings movie.

I have:

Sam
Frodo

Gandalf

Legolas

Aragorn

Ringwraith

Battle Troll

I also have a large Toybiz Gollum with interchangeable head.

Dragon In Dreams (5)

These are 12" dolls which come with accessories. These are based on The Lord of the Rings movie and have Return of the King packaging.

I have:

Sam

Frodo

Gandalf

Gimli

Aragorn

Funko

Bobble Heads (5)

These are bobble head figures based on The Lord of the Rings movies.

I have:

Sauron Limited Edition

Saruman and Uruk-Hai

Gandalf

Legolas

Gollum

Pop (17)

These are cartoon figures based on The Lord of Rings and Hobbit movies.

I have:

Lord of the Rings:

Frodo

Sam

Sauron

Gandalf

Saruman

Balrog

Twighlight Ringwraith

Merry

Pippin

Aragorn

Gollum

Treebeard

Lurtz

Nazgul

Aragorn and Arwen (twin pack)

Hobbit:

Gandalf

Smaug

Others (6)

I also have the following, which are either one off's or I don't have many in the series:
Gollum plush by Neca - talking

Smeagol Head Knocker by Neca

Frodo plush by Joy Toy

Gandalf (Fellowship packaging) by Applause - large solid could be classed as an ornament

Saruman (Fellowship packaging) by Applause - large solid could be classed as an ornament

Frodo by Applause - doll

Collecting Tolkien - Action Figures

This area is one of my biggest and also my most complete.

Tolkien action figures is not a big area in scope but can be very big in completeness (promo, repackaging, foreign packaging, foreign only, limited edition, store only etc).

I do not collect production anomalies or variations (although there are a small number which do have proper variations which I do collect, such as cloth/plastic caps) or customisations. I do not collect foreign packaging, although I do have a few.  I do collect repackaged releases.

Not included in this area are dolls, large figures or war game miniatures.

There are also manufacturer proof and trial models in existence which I consider collectable, but I don't have any.

The best website for action figures is http://www.figurerealm.com/universe?action=serieslist&universeid=427&universe=lordoftherings

Total Items: 349 (Sets counted as one item, some loose figures not counted)

I have underlined the ones I don't have.

Toybiz (243 items)

These are figures based on The Lord of the Rings movies.

I have an almost complete collection. I am only missing the very rare Two Towers Red Box Arwen and Horse. There are also some Trilogy figures packaged together onto American store sales cards which I don't have.

There is often confusion in how these are classified as the same figures were often re-issued under different packaging. I classify under packaging which corresponds to release.

This is quite a good site for Toybiz figures, although it is in a different order and there are some missing:

http://figure-archive.net/toyline.aspx?toylineID=2591

Fellowship (Green packaging)

Figures - Half Moon Fellowship Series 1: Frodo, Legolas, Newborn Lurtz, Strider, Witch King Ringwraith

Figures - Half Moon Fellowship Series 2: Gandalf, Gimli, Orc Overseer, Samwise Gamgee, Saruman

Figures - Half Moon Fellowship Series 3: Aragorn (Real Arrow Launch), Elrond (in armor), Traveling Bilbo, Orc Warrior

Figures - Carded Series 1: Boromir, Frodo, Galadriel (Lady of the Light), Prologue Elven Warrior, Strider, Twilight Frodo, Twilight Ringwraith

Figures - Carded Series 2: Arwen, Elrond (in armor), Gandalf the Grey, Gimli (Axe Throwing Action), Legolas (Dagger Slashing & Arrow Launching), Traveling Bilbo, Witch King Ringwraith

Figures - Carded Series 3: Birthday Celebration Bilbo (+red jacket variant), Elrond of Rivendell, Gil-Galad, King Elendil, Lurtz, Moria Orc Archer

Figures - Carded Series 4: Bilbo Transfixed, Gandalf the Grey, Mirkwood Legolas, Peter Jackson (as a Hobbit), Prince Isildur, Super poseable Boromir, Super poseable Strider

Figures - Carded Series 5: Boromir (with electronic sound) (super posable), Council Legolas, Flaming Ringwraith, Galadriel Entranced, Weathertop Strider

Large Figures: Cave Troll - Electronic

Promo Figures: Uruk-Hai (Burger King mail-away), Lurtz (Burger King mail-away) x2

2 Figure Packs: Boromir/Lurtz, Frodo/Samwise, Merry-Pippin/Orc, Uruk-Hai/Gimli

3 Figure Packs: Ringwraith/Strider/Frodo (UK exclusive), Orc overseer/Gandalf/Sam (UK exclusive), Orc overseer/Gandalf/Boromir (UK exclusive)

Figures with Horse: Arwen/Asfaloth, Ringwraith/Horse, Ringwraith/Horse/Frodo (Canada exclusive)

Gift Packs: Fellowship (Plastic capes), Fellowship (cloth capes), Fellowship (European box), Bearers One Ring

Two Towers (Red packaging)

Figures - Half Moon Fellowship Series 4: Boromir (Aus exclusive), Gimli Helms Deep (Aus exclusive), Merry & Pippin, Ringwraith, Travelling Bilbo

Figures - Half Moon Two Towers Series 1: Easterling, Faramir, Frodo with Sting, Gondorian Ranger, Legolas (Rohan Armor)

Figures - Half Moon Two Towers Series 2: Aragorn, Eomer, King Theoden, Rohirrim Soldier, Wormtongue

Figures - Half Moon Two Towers Series 3: Frodo with Light-up Sting, Galadriel, Gandalf the White (+bright white variant), Helm's Deep Aragorn, Prologue Elven Warrior, Twilight Ringwraith

Figures - Half Moon Two Towers Series 4: Gollum (Electronic Sound Base), Grima Wormtongue, Helm's Deep Legolas, King Theoden in Armor, Sam in Mordor, Saruman The White, Twilight Frodo

Figures - Half Moon Two Towers Series 5: Berserker Uruk-Hai, Grishnakh, Moria Orc, Smeagol (Electronic Sound Base), Ugluk

Figures - Carded Series 1: Crossbow Uruk-Hai, Eomer, Eowyn, Helm's Deep Aragorn, King Theoden in Armor, Saruman The White, Smeagol

Figures - Carded Series 2: Berserker Uruk-Hai, Frodo w/ Sting, Gandalf the White, Gollum (Electronic Sound Base), Helm's Deep Legolas, Treebeard

Figures - Carded Series 3: Boromir, Gamling, Isengard Orc, Super poseable Frodo, Super Poseable Helm's Deep Aragorn

Figures - Carded Series 4: Dungeons of Isengard Orc Captain, Gate of Mordor Sam, Hama Royal Guard of Rohan, Legolas (Arrow-Launching), Prince Theodred, Super poseable Shagrat Mordor Uruk-Hai Warrior

Figures - Carded Series 5: Balrog Battle Gandalf, Battle Action Aragorn, Battle Cry Uruk-Hai Warrior, Possessed King Theoden

Large Figures: Sauron - Electronic, Cave Troll - Electronic, Treebeard

2 Figure Packs: Elf Archer/Berserker Urk-Hai, Merry/Grishnakh, Pippin/Ugluk

Figures with Horse: Arwen/Asfaloth, Aragorn/Brego, Gandalf/Shadowfax, Ringwraith/Horse

Gift Packs: Fellowship, Warriors of the Two Towers, Heroes Middle-Earth

Return of the King (Blue packaging)

Figures - Half Moon ROTK Series 1: Crossbow Uruk-Hai, Eomer (in Ceremonial Armor), Frodo in Goblin Armor, Sam Gamgee with Goblin Disguise Armor

Figures - Half Moon ROTK Series 2: Eowyn in Armor, Gandalf the White, Smeagol (with authentic Movie Phrases), Super poseable Pelennor Fields Aragorn

Figures - Half Moon ROTK Series 3: Eowyn with Sword Slashing Action, Gollum with Electronic Sound Base, Prologue Bilbo, Super Poseable Gollum, Treebeard 8"

Figures - Half Moon ROTK Series 4: Aragorn King of Gondor Armor, Pippin in Armor
Figures - Carded Series 1: Aragorn King of Gondor, Haradrim Archer, Legolas in Rohan 

Figures - Carded Series 2: Faramir in Gondorian Armor, King of the Dead, Merry (Rohan Armor), Morgul Lord Witch-King
Figures - Carded Series 3: Arwen (in Coronation gown), Cirith Ungol Uruk-Hai, Gimli (Coronation Attire), Ringwraith, Super Poseable Shelob

Figures - Carded Series 4: Denethor Steward of Gondor, Minas Tirith Citadel Guard, Sam Gamgee in Orc Armor (with Electroniic Base), Shelob Attack Frodo, Smeagol Stoor Fisherman, Super poseable Aragorn, Super poseable Gorbag

Figures - Carded Series 5: Electronic Eye of Sauron, Gothmog, Legolas (Dagger-Throwing), Mount Doom Frodo, Mount Doom Sam

2 Figure Packs: Aragorn/Legolas (UK exclusive), Berserker/Frodo (UK exclusive), Gollum/Frodo (UK exclusive), Haradrim/Legolas (UK exclusive), Theoden/Morgul Lord (UK exclusive), Treebeard/Gandalf (UK exclusive), Gandalf/Saramun 'White Wizards' (UK exclusive)
3 Figure Packs: Aragorn/Gimli/Legolas 'Freedom to Edoras' (UK exclusive)

Large Figures: Battle Troll, Sauron - Electronic, Sauron/Saruman 'Lords of Darkness' (UK exclusive), Ringwraith/Fell Beast, Treebeard

Figures with Horse: Arwen/Asfaloth, King Aragorn/Brego, Ringwraith/Horse, Sharku/Warg, Gandalf/Shadowfax, Legolas/Horse

Gift Packs: Fellowship, Fellowship (with Peter Jackson), Heroes of Rohan, Quest for Mordor, Warriors of the Two Towers, Coronation, Mount Doom, Ringwraiths

Epic Trilogy

Figures - Carded Series 1: Council of Elrond Aragorn, Electronic Eye of Sauron, Gondorian Swordsman, Legolas (Arrow Launching & electronic sound base), Super Poseable Frodo with Journal, Super Poseable Gothmog

Figures - Carded Series 2: Balrog Battle Gandalf, Eowen Shield Maiden of Rohan, Fiery of Ringwraith, Galadriel Entranced, Gandalf Stormcrow, Legolas, Mordor Orc Lieutenant, Morgul Lord Witch-King

Others (Various packaging)

Gift Packs: Lothlorien, The Defeat of Sauron, Helm's Deep Battle Set, The Return of Gandalf (UK exclusive), Battle Shelobs Lair 3-Pack, Black Gate of Mordor, Elves of Middle Earth, Final Battle of Middle-Earth, Gates of Mordor, Kings of Middle Earth, Pelennor Fields, There and Back Again, Burden of the One Ring, 

Other: Carry Case

I also have quite a few loose figures.

I also have a NECA Balrog Action Figure which is a one off in the same scale as the Toybiz figures.

Fake Toybiz

Whilst on holiday in Corfu, I also picked up some fake Toybiz figures:

Aragorn

Boromir

Gimli

Frodo

As well as a pack of smaller figures.

Bridge Direct (27 items)

These are figures based on the Hobbit movies.

There are 2 ranges of these:

Large Figures

Figures Unexpected Journey: Bilbo, Legolas, Gandalf, Tauriel, Thorin, Yazneg (Toybiz exclusive)

Small Figures

Figures Unexpected Journey: Bilbo, Gandalf, Goblin, Legolas, Thorin

Figures Desolation: Azog, Bilbo, Thorin, Radagast, Gandalf, Legolas

Exclusive Figures: Invisible Bilbo (convention exclusive), Azog (convention exclusive)

2 Figure Packs: Bilbo/Gollum, Bolg/Gandalf, Dwalin/Balin, Fimbul/Warg, Kili/Fili, Legolas/Tauriel

Box Sets: Bilbo and the Dwarfs, Balin/Gandalf/Tauriel, Orcs, Mirkwood Hero

Large Figures: Goblin King/Thorin
Limited Edition: Smaug

Toy Vault (7 items)

I don't have a lot of these.

I have:

Bilbo

Gandalf

Gollum (Smegul)

Ugluk on the Hunt

Shadow Balrog

Lord of the Nazgul Deluxe

I also have some Toy Vault promotional items.

Play Along - Armies of Middle Earth (72 items)

These are smaller figures (they should really be classed as toy soldiers).

This is the best site for these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Armies-of-Middle-Earth-A-Complete-Guide-/10000000000963175/g.html

These are based on The Lord of the Rings movies.

I have a large collection of these, but it is not complete.

Figures - Battle Scale - Boxed: Frodo, Gollum

Figures - Battle Scale - Carded: Eomer, Eowyn, Frodo, Sam, Twilight Ringwraith

Figures - Heroes and Villains - Carded: Aragorn, Orc with Club, Orc with Sword, Orc Drummer, Rohan Soldier

3 Figure Packs - Wave 1: Attack At Weathertop, Moria Orcs, Ringwraiths, Rohan Soldiers

3 Figure Packs - Wave 2: Attack at Amon-hen, Elven Warriors of Helm's Deep, Mordor Orcs, Uruk-Hai

3 Figure Packs - Wave 3: Easterling Warriors, Men of the Rohan Army, The Defeat of Sauron, The Rangers of Gondor

3 Figure Packs - Wave 4: Elven Soldiers, Gondorian Soldiers, Marching to Mordor, Orcs of Cirith Ungol

3 Figure Packs - Wave 5: Ambush at Weathertop, Fighting Fellowship, Moria Orcs, The Capture of Smeagol, The Legions of Haradrim
3 Figure Packs - Wave 6: Army of the Dead, Attack at Amon Hen, Companions of the Ringbearer, Mordor Orcs, Prologue Elves

3 Figure Packs - Wave 7: Attack on Rohan, Fires of Mount Doom, Rescue at Cirith Ungol

3 Figure Packs - Exclusive: Twilight Ambush at Weathertop (convention exclusive)

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 1: Aragorn on Horseback, Dark Rider (#1 Standing), Gandalf the White (White) on Shadowfax, Sharku on Warg

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 2: Legolas and Gimli on Horseback, Ringwraith (#2 Galloping), Rohan Horseman (#1 with Spear), Warg Rider

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 3: Eomer on Horseback, Gondorian Horseman (#1 Rearing), King Theoden on Horseback, Ringwraith (#3 Rearing)

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 4: Aragorn in Gondorian Armor on Horse, Arwen and Frodo on Horseback, Eowyn and Merry on Horse, Faramir on Horseback

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 5: Aragorn on Horseback, Merry in Rohan Armor on Pony, Morannon Orc on Warg #1, Pippin in Gondorian Armor with Gandalf on Shadowfax

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 6: Eomer on Horseback, Gandalf the White (Cream) on Shadowfax, Gondorian Horseman (#2 Walking), Legolas & Gimli on Horseback, Mouth of Sauron, Ringwraith (Dark Rider #2 Galloping)

Warriors and Battle Beasts - Wave 7: Gondorian Horseman (#1 Rearing), Gothmog on Warg, Morannon Orc on Warg (#2 Blonde Hair), Rohan Horseman (#2 with Sword)

Battle Scenes: Helms Deep, Bridge at Zhazad-dum, Orthanc Chamber, Pelennor Fields Fell Beast, Shelobs Lair, Osgiliath Ruins, Pelennor Fields Deluxe Set

Weapons: Gondorian Catapult, Uruk-Hai Battering Ram, Uruk-Hai Ballista

Gift Packs: Fellowship, Deluxe Warrior Collection, Attack at Weathertop, Battle at Helms Deep Collection

I also have quite a few loose figures, including the Helms Deep set.

Growing Up - Life After School

The next stage in my life really started when I left school and got a job and about the same time I started going out with Deb (my future wife). This phase ends when we had kids. It goes from when I was 17/18 (1981) to 26 (1989).

The first change at the start of this stage was getting a job. I had done ok at my O Levels, getting B's and C's, but didn't know what I wanted to do as a job, so I started A levels in the 3 subjects I did best in (Maths, Geography and Art - quite a random bunch). I had liked the new computer club the previous year, so I also did an additional O level in Computing (which the school was just

trialling. As the first year of A levels was finishing, I went along to an open day at Tresham college, at which there was an apprenticeship in computing being run between the college and a local phone company, GEC Reliance. As I liked computing I applied. I went for an aptitude test and an interview, however I was too young, they wanted people with A levels. A few days later they phoned me saying that they had a spare place on the course, I was in. So I left school and started a job. The job was initially a 2 year apprenticeship were we spent a few months in the different departments in the company, interleaved with periods at the local Tresham college doing a BEC/TEC in Computing. I made friends with a guy on the course, Andrew Bailey, we were paired together on most of our placements. The placements I remember were Admin (where I did a stock control system on a Commodore PET and also wrote a digger game),   

Research (where we developed a wave analyser program in Fortran) and Data Processing (where I developed data reports in COBOL and also a chess game). There were also some sessions at the companies site in Irchester where we learnt electronics, I remember these being in summer when it was very hot, I would travel to Irchester on our moped and during lunchtimes we would go down the local pub and played the Missile Command arcade game. I don't remember much about the college stints just different classes and programming assignments. At lunchtimes we would go into an arcade in town and play Space Panic and Pacman. I also remember going on a 2 week team building residential course, I listened to the album Hot Space by David Bowie and the Red and Blue Beetles greatest hits albums. There was also an Asteroids arcade machine which we played a lot.

The second change was getting a girlfriend. As described in the previous growing up blog entry,   

this happened very suddenly on my 18th birthday, when Debbie Andrews and I got together. We got on very well and spent a lot of time together, at youth group events and on our own at each other's houses. We would spend a lot of time listening to music, a big early favourite was Simon and Garfunkel's greatest hits. We watched quite a bit of tv, I remember Eastenders starting and a couple of our favourite series were Brideshead Revisited and The Singing Detective. We also spent quite a bit of time playing computer games, first on a Trs-80, playing a fantasy adventure game we got from a magazine (listening to Queen II) and then on a ZX Spectrum. We played a lot of the Ulimate games (Jetpac, Sabre Wulf, Attic Attack etc) and Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy. Whilst playing games we would listen to albums, I remember No Parlez by Paul Young and Bat Out Of Hell by Meatloaf.

After a while we stopped going to the YPF youth group and spent more time together and with Andrew Bailey from work. It was the video rental era and we watched a lot of Horror movies. I particularly remember the Georgio Remero Zombie movies and also The Evil Dead. We also went to the Cinderella/Rockafella nightclub in Northampton and I remember seeing Michael Jackson's Thriller video there on the day it was released.

Deb finished her A'levels and applied to various universities. I took her to various interviews and we stopped the night in a hotel in Wales following an interview at the University of Wales. Deb decided not to go to university but got a job at an estate agents in Rushden. After a while she got a job at Nationwide building society in Wellingborough. I remember us going on a works weekend 

with her colleagues to a holiday camp.

We went on a few holidays together during this period. One to a holiday camp down South, not sure where, with the rest of my family, and one to Devon staying with Debs family.

Deb was very musical, she had been in the church choir and she played the piano, which she taught herself. She got a flute to learn to play and had lessons which I used to drive her to each week, unfortunately I managed to sit on her flute and bend it, so we had to get a new one.

Soon I had finished and pased my apprenticeship, I was offered, and took, a job the Computing department. I did this fot a year and then I got a new job at another company, Weatherbys, still in Wellingborough and still in Computing. I made friends with Sandy Comrie. He was a member of Weavers Old Boys Saturday football team and I started going along to training and then playing on Saturdays.

Deb and I decided to get married. We brought a house in Rushden on Grangeway and I moved in on my own 6 months before the wedding. We didn't have a great deal of money so only had 2nd hand furniture people gave us. I also fitted a new kitchen myself. I remember us listening to the BBC dramatisation of Lord of the Rings.

Our wedding, March 1st 1987, was quite low budget as we had to pay for it ourselves. We had to setup the venue, Irchester hall, ourselves, which I did with my family in the morning, it was quite a rush. Deb had an accident in the morning when a chunk was ironed out of her vail, but her auntie was able to mend it. The actual wedding was at the church we used to go to, St Marys in Rushden. It was a very cold day, with snow still on the ground. There were quite a few relatives at the wedding, Debs from Devon and mine from Wolverhampton and locally. The reception was at Irchester hall. We had quite a lot of friends there from the old youth group, from my Weatherbys job and from Debs Nationwide job. Unfortunaltly we couldn't afford a honeymoon.

There was a nice Chinese takeaway just up the road from where we lived which we used to go to regularly.

During this period we had a couple of cars. A very old red Ford Escort, in which we used to listen to 10cc Greatest Hits, then a newer white Ford Fiesta and finally a light blue Ford Escort. I taught Deb to drive and she passed first time.

I remember going on a computing course in Brighton, just after the Conservative conference bombing.

We wanted a family, and luckily it wasn't long before Deb became pregnant.

The end of this period of my life came when we had our first child.

Collecting Tolkien - Computer Games

Being a computer and computer games fan (see other blog entries), this area is of particular interest to me.

The world of Tolkien computer games is a smaller area than some but it is also quite complex. For instance, although there are a limited number of games, each game can be in lots of different formats and also repackaged many times. There can also be compilations of games. Some games are also only produced in some countries, with different packaging and often different production/distribution companies.

Also some games are only available to download, they were never sold in a physical format, in particular there is an awful lot of freeware/non commercial games (I don't include these as part of my collection).

A lot of the games are also unofficial with no licence from the Tolkien estate.

The definitive website for a Tolkien computer games is http://www.lysator.liu.se/tolkien-games/ (although it is a little bit out of date and does not have any games based on the movies or any produced afterwards). Although there are a few more good sites:

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/inspiration-author-j-r-r-tolkien/offset,0/so,1d/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth_in_video_games

Total Items: 103

In the details of my collection below I will mention the formats I have against each game.

My first game was from the 80's, the very famous The Hobbit (tape: C64, BBC, Spec, Ams, Oric, MSX; disk: PC, BBC) by Melbourne House. This was quite a ground breaking game in the adventure genre, with actual graphics.


The follow up Lord of the Rings (tape with promo book: BBC, C64, Spec; disk: PC, Ams) game was also very successful. This was branded as Fellowship of the Ring (disk: PC) in America.

Completing the trilogy was Shadows of Morder (tape: C64, Spec; disk: C64), although this was not as successful as the first 2.

I also have all three of these games packaged as the Tolkien Trilogy (tape: C64, BBC, Spec, Ams).

After this Melbourne House also produced a few games in the series, which I have, but which were not as successful as the first two, War in Middle Earth (tape: Ams) and Riders of Rohan (disk: PC). I don't have Crack of Doom Software Adventure (which was only released in America).

I also have a few of the more obscure Tolkien related games from the early 80's, all of which are unofficial. Shadowfax (tape: BBC, Vic20) by Postern is one of the earliest Tolkien related games, as is Moria (tape: Oric) by Severn Sotfware and Gandalf the Sorcerer (tape: Spec) by Game Gems, but it is only Tolkien related by name with none of the gameplay being Tolkien related. Two parody games by Delta 4, Bored of the Rings (tape: Spec) and The Boggit (tape: Spec), which are both based on parody books.

The next game I got was from the 90's, Lord of the Rings (disk: PC - US and UK versions; cart: SNES) by Interplay, which was a lot more graphically interactive. Although primarily released as a PC game, I also have a fairly rare SNES version. I don't have the follow up game The Two Towers, which was only released in America.

There were no more computer games until the time of the movies. The first of these, which I have, however was based on the books and was not movie related, was The Fellowship of the Ring (PC, XBox, PS2, GB Adv, GB Col) by Vivendi (I also have a promotional copy of this given away by the Sun newspaper), which was followed by The Hobbit (PC, XBox, PS2, GB) and War of the Ring (PC). I also have all three of these games packaged as the Tolkien Collection (PC).

The movie related games The Two Towers (XBox, PS2, GB Adc) and The Return of the King (PC, PS2, XBox, GB Adv) were by Electronic Arts (there was no Fellowship movie game). There were also some follow up games The Third Age (PS2, XBox), Tactics (PSP) (only available on the psp) and later Lord of the Rings Conquest (XBox). I have the Return of the King and The Third Age in an XBox limited edition boxed set. Electronic Arts also produced a PC Tolkien World online game series based on the movies which consists of Battle for Middle Earth (PC), Battle for Middle Earth II (PC - collectors addition) and then a quite rare Rise Of The Witch King (PC), all follow up modules were download only.

I also have a stand alone console game from the movies Lord of the Rings Warrior of Middle-Earth.

A massive online world based on Tolkien's world Lord of the Rings Online was produced by Turbine. The first module of this was Shadow of Angmar (PC - mithril addition) which was followed by Mines of Moria (PC). All other modules were only available via online download.

There have also been some games produced by Warner Bros which I have; Aragorns Quest (PS2) , War In The North (PC - collectors edition with statue), Guardians Of Middle Earth (PS3) and Shadow Of Mordor (XBox One). These are not a series but are separate games.



I also have the Lego Lord Of The Rings (PC, XBox, DS - with Elrond Lego figure) game, and Lego Hobbit (PC, XBox One - with Bilbo Lego figure). And the Lego Dimensions Gollum.

A lot of computer games also have corresponding book guides, these are the ones I have:

Hobbit (Melbourne House) multiple versions

Lord of the Rings (interplay)

The Fellowship of the Ring (Vivendi)

The Hobbit (Vivendi)

War of the Ring (Vivendi)

The Two Towers (Electronic Arts)

Return of the Key (Electronic Arts)

The Third Age (Electronic Arts)

Battle of Middle Earth II (Electronic Arts)

Lord of the Rings online (Turbine)

Lord of the Rings online (Turbine) vol II

I also have some computer/games promotional items:

Third Age poster

EA Lord of the Rings game series soundtrack

Return of the King movie game standup

Battle of Middle Earth tin (x2)

Vivendi Fellowship of the Ring game newspaper give away

Postcards (Hobbit game) (x5)

There are some other Tolkien computing items I have, which are not games related. Most of these are movie promotional items. There are not very many of these so I will include them here:

PlayStation 2 controller Two Towers movie

Computer mouse mats (x6)

Interactive cd's

Activity Studio's from the 3 movies (x3)

Gaming Magazines (x6)