The Folio Society Facebook page recently put up a post about Project Northmoor with a rather misleading title about them turning the house into a museum. I messaged them about how that's not entirely correct and directed them to the Tolkien Society's statement on it.
I doubt I will get a response though.
I doubt I will get a response though.
Mr. Underhill wrote:
The Folio Society Facebook page recently put up a post about Project Northmoor with a rather misleading title about them turning the house into a museum. I messaged them about how that's not entirely correct and directed them to the Tolkien Society's statement on it.
I doubt I will get a response though.
This is what happens when a project starts out with misleading and contradictory statements.
Mr. Underhill wrote:
The Folio Society Facebook page recently put up a post about Project Northmoor with a rather misleading title about them turning the house into a museum. I messaged them about how that's not entirely correct and directed them to the Tolkien Society's statement on it.
I doubt I will get a response though.
I’ve found Folio to be reasonably responsive, but do keep us updated.
I hae obtained the business plan pdf for Project Northmoor that has been referred to quite often in various places and thought it would be good to share to further the conversation about their goals.
The pdf is reproduced here in screenshots, text below for easier reading, and the original pdf attached at the bottom of the post for reference.
The pdf is reproduced here in screenshots, text below for easier reading, and the original pdf attached at the bottom of the post for reference.
1. Our Aim
- to preserve 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford as the former home of JRR Tolkien and where The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were written;
- to advance the public knowledge and appreciation of the life, faith and works of JRR Tolkien and the Inklings;
- to advance education in the arts and crafts including the arts of literature and language.
2. Why this Centre?
20 Northmoor Road is a listed period house, largely unchanged since it was built in 1924. It has a large garden, which has huge potential to be restored to its former glory, providing further beautiful spaces and outdoor retreats. Attracted by the history, a new generation will be invited to come and draw inspiration from their surroundings. Funding will be raised to bring students from deprived areas to enjoy the benefits of a short stay in Oxford.
There is no centre dedicated to the appreciation of Tolkien’s work anywhere in the world, remarkable in the face of his ongoing relevance to culture. This house is uniquely fitted to fulfil that role.
3. Feasibility
The Centre will function as a charity. A warden would be in residence to ensure smooth running and maintain the house as a home.
The work of the Centre will be augmented with a lively and thoughtful online presence to extend the conversation to those who cannot get to Oxford and so draw them into the community life built around the house.
The house itself is easy to reach (only 90 minutes from Heathrow, an hour from London). The house has six large bedrooms upstairs, ample space for twin or double beds, and one disabled access bedroom on the ground floor with an accessible bathroom. The Centre will also have overflow arrangements locally for additional participants on larger programmes.
Activities to include:
- Creative writing courses.
- Spiritual retreats.
- Literary study weeks. These will be open to those wishing to find out more about Oxford writers.
- Bursaries for those who could not otherwise afford to come.
4. Who are we?
Project Northmoor was set up by a wife and husband team, residents of Oxford.
Julia Golding, multi-award-winning novelist and screenwriter, author of over sixty novels for children and adults. She is an experienced teacher of creative writing and has a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University. http://goldinggateway.com
Joss Saunders, an experienced and well-known charity lawyer with a background in publishing law.5. What is required
At least £4.5 million to purchase the property and establish the Centre. The largest portion is required to secure the property (estimated £4 million) and the remainder for the necessary renovation to comply with building regulations and start-up costs. Additional funds will go towards developing the programme, including a bursary scheme. The Centre will be financially self-sustaining once established.Project Northmoor is the working name of Project Northmoor Limited, registered charity number 1192314 and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England 13002586
Earlier today (Tuesday the 8th), Project Northmoor's YouTube account made a pair of replies to comments on their fundraising video.
The home doesn't need saving as it is a grade 2 listed building. This is simply a request for the public to pay to transfer the building from one set of private hands to another. The entire basis of this request is predicated on the lie that the property is in some way at risk. Whilst I'd stop short of calling this a scam, it is incredibly distasteful, given there are real charitable endeavours that need money (something people are a little short of in a pandemic).Hi Stu: Thanks for your support and comments. We'll be holding a Facebook Live and/or an AMA shortly to get in front of some of the issues presented as there are definitely some incorrect points out there, along with good ones too. We'll let you know when it will be and welcome your questions. Thanks!/
Essentially, the objections are as follows:
The Tolkien Estate is not involved.
The Northmoor property does not need saving. There are no plans to demolish it, and indeed it is a Grade II Listed Property, which means any alterations need external regulatory consent=
The proposal would not create a publicly accessible Tolkien Museum, but rather a vaguely-defined cultural space for seminars and creative writing retreats. The connection with Tolkien is not clear, beyond using his old house.
The donations will not be refunded if the property is not bought.
As per the discussion, there seems to be some issue with donations from the USA not necessarily going towards the property purchase.
Building a hobbit house in the garden, a flet in the tree, and a ‘Smaug’s Lair’ makes it sound like Disneyland.
Putting all of this together… I am sceptical about this project, especially when one considers that many people are facing significant pandemic-related hardship. There are better ways of spending millions in 2020.Good day Andeas. We thank you for your support. Not all the notes above are accurate, and to that point we'll be holding a Facebook Live an/or an AMA shortly to discuss. We need to give more info - and so we will be doing that as soon as possible. Thank you again!
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