Hibernia wrote:

I admit I am a bit vexed that this has only been published with a special edition. (I am not a collector, and indeed, being as I am getting on a bit, am trying to avoid any reprint or compilation editions or anything large and heavy, in case the doors end up blocked ... ) I wonder idly how many other interesting bits are being cached up to help sell luxury editions in future? Best wishes to everyone.
Hibernia

Welcome to the site. I am glad that this has been published, but hopefully HarperCollins may reprint it, so that it is a bit more widely available. If you don't have a copy of the facsimile first edition Hobbit, then these extras do make this one of the copies to get.

Hi, Hibernia, good to see you here. I am a collector, and I was annoyed when HC published the facsimile of TH without the promised extras - followed the next year by the boxed set.
But IMO the boxed set is value for money, for the 1st ed. text, and also the lecture on dragons, which is priceless.

Here is one quote, taken at random -

"Professor Haldane says that 'you ought to be able to tie at least four knots in a grand specimen of Chinese dragon, as you can in a well-bred giraffe's neck'. I dare say he is right".
(p.59)

John Holmes talks about it at 15'25 : https://iknowdino.com/Atlasaurus-Episode-433/