This thread is un-paused now. Thanks for your patience. I'll give my final few thoughts below, but in general, I am feeling like the Project Northmoor discussion (as far as regards Tolkien collecting) has run its course, barring major updates from the organizers and any lingering questions/comments from the conversation that I paused. The questions and concerns to PN organizers have been aired, and any answers from the organizers we already have, or won't be getting at this point.

The latest arguments here seemed to start with the sharing of the Prancing Pony Podcast statement on Saturday. Trotter has kindly edited in their update/correction to their initial statement at that same link, so please go read that before continuing the discussion, it might be relevant.

Finally, for the remaining posts that started to get heated - I am hopeful that we can all pull the conversation back to Tolkien and collecting? I think it is fair for the participants to be able to close out the conversation if they feel it necessary, but please try to read what the other person wrote a couple of times, and then read your response back to yourself a couple of times before hitting submit.

Lets see how this goes. Thanks again all for your patience.

Thanks Jeremy.

For myself I think the thread has as you say, served its purpose and I have no desire to lock horns with other members. I am happy to call time on my own involvement in the PN conversation here unless it is simply to post important updates if I come across them, otherwise I will save it for Twitter and Reddit.

Jeremy, it should be noted that given how quickly this all moved and that it is not the usual subject matter here I think the thread has been handled well by yourself/mods. It is not an easy subject and was always likely to get heated so the fact this has not descended into chaos is testament to the sites leadership. Thank you.

^ What he said.

Stu wrote:

^ What he said.

There really is not much to add right now and that which could be said would not change the course of this project for the foreseeable future and it would not improve on what has been said already.

I can only compliment you, Jeremy/mods, on handling this very difficult topic admirably.

We'll see eventually what this is/ was all about the day the annual report is uploaded to the Charity Commission.

Until then all else seems moot.

Hi all.

I have been informed that Project Northmoor will take part in an AMA tomorrow on Reddit.

Trotter edit

Julia Golding is looking forward to talking to fellow Tolkien fans tomorrow December 16 from 7PM-9PM GMT (2PM-4PM EST). Join the AMA at https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/

From Reddit

Tolkienfans is pleased to announce that we will be hosting an AMA with Project Northmoor's director, Julia Golding, on December 16th from 1900-2100 GMT (2PM-4PM EST)! The thread will be going live roughly three hours prior (1600 GMT), so there should be ample time to get your questions submitted in advance.

The Mod team would like to thank the staff over at Project Northmoor for providing our community with this opportunity to gain greater insight into their plans and goals. While the subreddit has no official connection to the Project, we feel this chance to speak directly with those responsible will be generally beneficial in helping individual users reach their own conclusions about whether or not they wish to support it. I'm sure this hardly needs saying with such an "excellent and admirable" userbase, but please exercise care to remain civil and well-behaved. I know many among you have concerns, and while you're absolutely welcome to express those, we ask that you do so in a manner concordant with Rule 2.

Thanks everyone!

I feel this would have been relevant a week ago, but is now just giving the corpse of their project publicity. I guess I can cut and paste the questions they already didn't answer from their youtube channel.

Link to reddit post https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/c ... tor_of_project_northmoor/

For those who don't frequent Reddit I asked during the AMA the following:

Do you feel given the large numbers involved with this project that $6M is a good investment when the house would be used by very small numbers? One can't help feel that the money could be used for much better purposes.

Especially as by your own admission the general public would not be able to visit the house and as such nothing changes regarding the house other than it being bought by your project rather than a private family. It has survived all these years quite happily and is protected.

Surely there are better ways to promote the work of Tolkien in more suitable premises?

Julia Golding replied with the following:

Hi Phil, there are many ways to promote the work of Tolkien and everyone is naturally free to pick their favourite approach but this is the one that speaks to me and the many others who have rallied around the project. I've been bowled over - and moved - by the many messages of support from around the globe. There is something about a place that was part of a writer's life that really touches a chord with so many. It's hardly a new idea - you can visit houses in England for Dickens, Jane Austen, Wordsworth, Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare, so why not J R R Tolkien who means as much to many of us as these other wonderful writers? But to your point about 'better ways', I encourage everyone with other ideas to promote Tolkien's work to follow their path and I would cheer you on. But I'm here to answer about this particular idea. To us at Project Northmoor, we believe that the house is a unique - the only place that Tolkien lived that has the connection to his most famous works. It is the house where he and Edith raised their family and spent WWII. It only comes on the market once in a generation so this is our chance if we want to take it to buy it and make it accessible to Tolkien enthusiasts, so taking it out of private hands. Yes the house is expensive - unfortunately that's the story of property in Oxford - but that is the investment we hope Tolkien fans will feel happy to make. That's why crowdfunding is so perfect for the idea - everyone takes a very small part of the cost so no one is overstretched.

Once with the charity the house would be protected. It does have Grade II listed status but the history of planning in the area is not very encouraging. The house next door was recently demolished and replaced with a much larger modern mansion even though it is in a conservation area. Hopefully Tolkien's name will protect the house - and our campaign has made it more difficult to ignore - but I'd prefer to be certain and put in the ownership of a charity dedicated to preserving it.

I followed up with:

While I thank you for the response it does not really answer the question asked. $6m to put on small groups doesn't sound like the best use of the funds. I must state that I feel the house needing to be saved is a bit of a red herring. The house is protected and your project doesn't add to that protection as far as I can see.

And may I add. You say that

There is something about a place that was part of a writer's life that really touches a chord with so many. It's hardly a new idea - you can visit houses in England for Dickens, Jane Austen, Wordsworth, Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare, so why not J R R Tolkien who means as much to many of us as these other wonderful writers?

Indeed this is correct but these other places can be visited by the public and I might add at a much lower cost than the project you have decided on.

And what about his fireplace?

Khamûl wrote:

And what about his fireplace?

They could raise another couple of hundred thousand and buy that piece of dreck back.