Blog index

▼

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Middle-earth comes to Southport: Introduction & Hub


“Eärendil was a mariner 
that tarried in Arvernien; 
he built a boat of timber felled 
in Nimbrethil to journey in; 
her sails he wove of silver fair, 
of silver were her lanterns made, 
her prow he fashioned like a swan, 
and light upon her banners laid.”

-- Bilbo's recital in Rivendell
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings:
Fellowship of the Ring
(Book Two, Chapter 1: Many Meetings)

🧙 Middle-earth comes to Southport: A personal connection

My family moved to Southport (from Thelwall, Warrington) when I was aged about four on the advice of doctors that the sea air there would be better for me (I was poorly as a child supposedly). When my parents were house viewing, I apparently fell into the pond at the house we eventually moved to, close to Hesketh Park. Fortunately there was no Watcher in the Water or the floating (un)dead in there to entrap me!

I've been a Tolkien fan for over forty years now, that journey started from copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings borrowed from my older brother Paul. At the same time we had Middle-earth Roleplaying game (MERP by Iron Crown Enterprises), the Commodore 64 "The Hobbit" game (Published by Melbourne House in 1982) and Ralph Bakshi's film adaption of The Lord of the Rings. We sadly lost Paul in late 2019, and I've continued to remember him (and honour his memory) in my outreach and support of the Tolkien and gaming communities as well as in my love of J.R.R. Tolkien's works and world, kindled so many years ago by my brother.

It feels we've come full circle now that the travelling exhibition of "The Magic of Middle-earth" has arrived in Southport. My love of Tolkien's works and world began as a young boy living in Southport, now as an adult that world has come to town. Over several blog posts I'll be providing information (and a review) of the exhibition itself and associated events run by the Atkinson and others as well as looking at 

🧙 What is "The Magic of Middle-earth" exhibition?

The exhibition consists of curator Matt Smith's personal collection of Tolkien memorabilia with a wide range of items: from rare books, collectables and toys, to paintings and more. 

The exhibition has been touring for a number of years. Previous locations include:

And now the exhibition travels to Southport!


A smiling Gollum from the Lord of the Rings Post Box topper in Banks (north of Southport)
created by the Southport Hookers. See the link below for more information.

🧙 Middle-earth comes to Southport: The HUB 🐉

This page forms a hub for a series of connected blog posts about the "Magic of Middle-earth" exhibition and also related news, events and other things. This is a living document so will be edited and added to in the upcoming weeks and foreseeable future. 

✍ Current version: 001 (Published 9 July 2025)

** Blog posts (below) coming soon **

📜 A wanderer's guide to Southport (and how not to get lost)
📜 "Magic of Middle-earth" at the Atkinson review
📜 The Southport Tolkien Trail
📜 The Lord of the Rings post box topper in Banks, Lancashire
📜 "The Legend of Rooney's Ring" at the Royal Court Liverpool
📜 The Rangers of the North - an introduction to the local Tolkien Society Smial
📜 Tolkien and the North West of England

The exhibition is on from Saturday 21th June to Saturday 27th September 2025. The Atkinson is open Monday to Saturday, 10am-4pm. You can find out more here.

📆 Upcoming events

⭕ Friday 18th July to Saturday 23rd August 2025 💬 Performance: "The Legend of Rooney's Ring" at Royal Court Liverpool. Matinee and evening performances. Book here. 

⭕ Monday 28th July 2025 @ 7-8pm 💬 Evening Talk: "Tolkien and the changes of Times" by Professor Giuseppe Pezzini. Booking information here.

⭕ Saturday 20th September 💬 Event: Hobbit Day celebration. To be announced.



📝 LORE NUGGETS #1

Accessible resource: Tolkien Gateway (see links)

The image from the Blog title banner was taken by the author on 27 May 2019 at the Marine Lake. These are the hireable pedalos in the shape of swans and flamingos. Many years later that image popped up as a Facebook reminder just after season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power aired - a funny coincidence but also a reminder of how Swan boats are part of the Middle-earth magic.


Swan pedalos on the Marine Lake Southport
Photo by author, 27 July 2019
(Click photo to see larger size)

In the quote at the top of this blog we learn that Eärendil crafted a boat with the prow shaped like a swan in his quest to seek the aid of the Valar in the West against Morgoth devastating Middle-earth. It was in Valinor where the Teleri elves dwelt and made ships in the likeness of swans. The refusal to hand these ships over to Fëanor led to the first Kinslaying.

In the opening of Season 1 Episode 1 of The Rings of Power ("A Shadow of the Past") Galadriel, then living in Valinor, makes a papercraft swan boat which then magically unfolds and floats down a stream before being sunk by a group of Elven youths. 


Galadriel's papercraft Swan boat from The Rings of Power
Season 1 Episode 1 "A Shadow of the Past"
(Click photo to see a larger size)

As the episode closes, Galadriel is forced to make a choice whilst on a Swan ship taking her to Valinor.


The Swan ship reaches Valinor upon Sundering
Seas. Image from The Rings of Power
Season 1 Episode 1 "A Shadow of the Past"
(Click photo to see a larger size)

It is in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring that we get one of the most well known Swan boats:
“They turned a sharp bend in the river, and there, sailing proudly down the stream towards them, they saw a swan of great size. The water rippled on either side of the white breast beneath its curving neck. Its beak shone like burnished gold, and its eyes glinted like jet set in yellow stones; its huge white wings were half lifted. A music came down the river as it drew nearer; and suddenly they perceived that it was a ship, wrought and carved with elven-skill in the likeness of a bird. Two elves clad in white steered it with black paddles. In the midst of the vessel sat Celeborn, and behind him stood Galadriel, tall and white; a circlet of golden flowers was in her hair, and in her hand she held a harp, and she sang.”

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Book Two, Chapter 8: Farewell to Lórien)
We see a version of this in Peter Jackson's film adaption of the book.


Galadriel on the Swan boat in Peter Jackson's 
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(Click photo to see a larger size)

One of the paintings in the "Magic of Middle-earth" exhibition depicts this scene too: Rowena Morrill's "The Swan-Boat of Galadriel" (1980). 


Rowena Morrill, "The Swan-Boat of Galadriel" (1980). Image source.
(Click image to see a larger size)

Perhaps whilst in Southport, visiting the "Magic of Middle-earth" exhibition, you may want to try a Swan boat of your own? Head down to the Marine Lake where you can hire a Family Pedalos (swan or flamingo).

Details here (Facebook).

at

No comments:

Post a Comment