Return to Middle Earth!
The ninth weekend celebrating the work of world renowned author JRR Tolkien takes place in Birmingham on the 17th and 18th of May at Sarehole Mill in Hall Green. This unique event will be open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on each day.
Note that the name this year is the ‘Middle Earth Weekend’. It will, as usual, include a wealth of interest for fans of Tolkien’s work (incidentally, Tolkien preferred the hyphenated form ‘Middle-earth’, which you may see written elsewhere). There will also be a wide range of events, displays and activities for people of any age who like a festival with a deliberately traditional and old fashioned air about it. The attractions this year include craft workshops, a historic rope maker, flint knappers and falconry displays. Medieval re-enactment and the Bowmen of Swanshurst will be also amongst those at the weekend.
Hall Green based drama group Shire Productions will dramatise extracts from Beowulf in the setting of Moseley Bog. “I’m looking forward to this, but just a little nervously,” said Councillor Michael Wilkes. “I’ll be taking a role as Beowulf, but for those who know the story (see Beowulf and Birmingham on this site) there is the part where Beowulf is a young warrior and a part where Beowulf is, shall we say, somewhat more mature. No prizes for guessing which I’ve been asked to play!”
