A village community centre is moving heaven and Middle Earth to pay tribute to Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien. A blue heritage plaque in his honour will be unveiled in April at the Gedling Youth and Community Hub, based at the village’s old train station.
In late September 1914, Tolkien arrived at this very destination to visit his Aunt Jane Neave’s home, Phoenix Farm, in Arnold Lane. It was here he wrote ‘The Voyage of Earendel the Evening Star’; a poem which was to be the start of his voyage into mythological literature where hobbits and fairies dwelled in distant lands such as Mordor, Middle Earth and Rivendell.
The Phoenix Farm was demolished in 1954, however its name lives on in the nearby ‘Phoenix Farm Estate’. Aunt Jane is believed to have been the real-life inspiration for Gandalf the wizard, immortalised on the big screen by Sir Ian McKellen alongside Hollywood actor Elijah Wood as Frodo in the Lord of The Rings trilogy, which grossed $2.9 billion at the box office.
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Work to transform Gedling’s old railway station into the hub has unearthed all manner of interesting links to the past. Francis Rodrigues, chair of Gedling Youth and Community hub, said: “The fact that Tolkien visited Gedling and wrote poems here inspires me to keep doing good things in the local community.
“The area is full of history that some residents are not aware of; we hope it attracts people to explore and take advantage of what Gedling has to offer, including the regeneration of our Youth and Community Hub.”
Natelle Morgan-Brown, hub secretary, said the plaque was great news for the community. She said: “I was a bookworm as a kid so hopefully this interesting bit of history will grab the interest of young people and maybe inspire the next Tolkien.”
Visitors on the day will be able to see the plaque being unveiled, hear some of Tolkien’s stories, create their own wizard staff and tour the former railway station. All ages are welcome at the event, which is on Saturday, April 2 from noon.
Volunteers have worked hard over the years and invested thousands of pounds into restoring the old Gedling For Carlton Station and creating a gym at the site.
The station, at Shearing Hill, formerly on the Great Northern line, was used as a youth club after the station closed in 1960.
But the team behind it at the time weren't able to keep the facility running and it shut in 2010, with the site put on the market.
However, campaigners managed to put a stop to this and new trustees were appointed and a fresh management committee brought in.Gedling Youth and Community Hub are still fundraising for the project and donations are welcome, along with offers from volunteers and support from local businesses.
Contact info@gedlingyouth.co.uk or drop into Gedling Youth and Community Hub, Shearing Hill, Gedling, Nottingham, NG4 3GY.
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